TL;DR: The Southeast Utah Health Department is investigating 10 reported foodborne illness cases in Carbon County after a May 13 complaint and is asking residents who recently ate out and feel sick to file a confidential report.

What is happening in Carbon County?

The Southeast Utah Health Department is investigating a potential foodborne illness outbreak in Carbon County, Utah, with a focus on the Price area, according to FOX 13 Now.

Investigators have confirmed 10 cases of illness, according to FOX 13 Now.

The exact source of contamination remains unknown and the investigation is ongoing, according to ETV News.

Officials want to learn whether the cases are connected, according to FOX 13 Now.

The department is asking anyone with symptoms of food poisoning who has eaten outside of the home recently to report the illness so investigators can examine the reports, according to FOX 13 Now.

The department has said it cannot investigate without hearing from residents, according to ABC4.

All reports are confidential, according to ABC4.

How did the investigation begin?

The investigation started on Thursday after the health department received a complaint from a group that reported foodborne illness-like symptoms, according to FOX 13 Now.

Orion Rogers, the environmental health director for the Southeast Utah Health Department, described that starting point, according to FOX 13 Now.

A separate account says the department received a report on May 13 from an individual experiencing an upset stomach and diarrhea, according to ETV News.

That individual noted that multiple other members of their party were suffering from the same symptoms, according to ETV News.

Since the initial complaint, investigators have confirmed 10 official reports linked to the outbreak, according to ETV News.

The department has not specified whether it has pinpointed exact areas or restaurants where the potential outbreak could have occurred, according to ABC4.

Why has no restaurant been named?

The health department is not releasing the name of the restaurant while the investigation plays out, according to FOX 13 Now.

Officials said the restaurant is being cooperative with the investigation, according to FOX 13 Now.

Officials also said the restaurant threw out all the food it had, according to FOX 13 Now.

Investigators have not announced a confirmed food vehicle or preparation failure, according to ETV News.

The department is using incoming illness reports to help pinpoint the source and prevent further illness, according to ETV News.

Who should file a report?

Residents should file a report if they have symptoms of food poisoning and have eaten outside of the home recently, according to FOX 13 Now.

The request covers people in Carbon County and the surrounding Price area, according to ETV News and FOX 13 Now.

Public health officials advise residents to monitor themselves and their families for common signs of foodborne illness, according to ETV News.

The department is asking people with recent symptoms, even mild symptoms, to file an official report, according to ETV News.

People experiencing stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting or fever after eating out are included in the call for reports, according to FOX 13 Now.

People with an upset stomach or abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, or fever are included in the monitoring guidance, according to ETV News.

Reports from people who ate as part of a group are especially useful because investigators are assessing whether illnesses share a common exposure, according to FOX 13 Now and ETV News.

How do residents submit a confidential illness report?

Residents can submit a report through the Southeast Utah Health Department problem-reporting page, according to FOX 13 Now.

That address is seuhealth.gov/report-a-problem, according to FOX 13 Now.

A Spanish-language report directs people to complete an online form at the same address and select the food-poisoning option, according to Telemundo Utah.

A second reporting path uses the Utah Department of Health and Human Services portal, according to ETV News.

That secure online address is https://pubredcap.health.utah.gov/surveys/?s=AMR9NWM7YP8FFDF3, according to ETV News.

The department states that reports submitted through its outreach are confidential, according to ABC4.

Residents who still have suspect food should preserve it and wrap it securely, labeled with the time it was consumed and when symptoms occurred, according to ABC4, which attributes that handling advice to the Utah State Department of Agriculture.

Officials also recommend calling the local health department about a suspected exposure, according to ABC4.

If the suspect food is a USDA-inspected product and the consumer has all the packaging, officials recommend calling the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854, according to ABC4.

What symptoms should people watch for?

Symptoms of foodborne illness can include stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and fever, according to FOX 13 Now.

Public health guidance also lists upset stomach or abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, and fever as common signs, according to ETV News.

Symptoms are similar to flu symptoms, according to ABC4.

Symptoms can present from a few minutes to weeks after eating contaminated food, according to ABC4, which attributes that timing information to the Utah State Department of Agriculture.

Foodborne illness comes from eating contaminated food, according to ABC4, which attributes that definition to the Utah State Department of Agriculture.

Anyone feeling ill or in an at-risk group should seek medical care immediately, especially if symptoms persist or are severe, according to ABC4, which attributes that care guidance to the Utah State Department of Agriculture.

Who faces higher risk of severe illness?

Individuals with weakened immune systems, young children and infants, pregnant women and older adults are at higher risk of becoming seriously ill if they get a foodborne illness, according to ABC4, which attributes the risk description to the Utah State Department of Agriculture.

Some risk exists for any individual, according to ABC4, which attributes that statement to the Utah State Department of Agriculture.

Foodborne illness causes around 48 million illnesses and 3,000 deaths in the United States each year, according to ABC4, which attributes the estimates to the Utah State Department of Agriculture.

Southeast Utah health officials are asking families to watch children and other household members after a shared meal outside the home, according to ETV News.

The department’s Price contact location is 625 East 100 North, Price, UT 84501, and its telephone number is (435) 636-3941, according to ETV News.

What happens next in the investigation?

Investigators are working to determine whether the 10 confirmed reports share a common food, meal period or establishment, according to FOX 13 Now.

The department has described the Price-area illnesses as localized, according to ETV News.

No contamination source had been identified in the reports available before the archive cutoff, according to ETV News.

The department continues to seek additional reports from people who ate out recently and developed gastrointestinal symptoms, according to FOX 13 Now and ABC4.

Each new confidential report gives investigators another exposure history to compare against the existing 10 cases, according to ETV News and FOX 13 Now.

Residents can use either the Southeast Utah Health Department reporting page or the state survey portal to add their information to the active file, according to FOX 13 Now and ETV News.

The department says those reports will help identify possible sources, prevent more cases and protect public health in the community, according to Telemundo Utah.

Sources referenced