Forty-eight cases of Salmonella have been reportedly linked to Subway restaurants in eighteen Illinois counties, including the Chicago area Will County.

People were reportedly sick with Salmonella between May 11th and May 25th and had ranged from three years of age to eighty-eight. Out of the forty-eight sick, seventeen of them had tested positive for the strain Salmonella Hvitingfoss and were hospitalized due to the illness. All the people who were reportedly sick are safe and in recovery, according to the State of Illinois Public Health Dept.

Even though the outbreak may come as a surprise for Subway fans, this isn’t Subway’s first problem with the bacteria. In 2008, the chain sold contaminated meats for up to five months in Great Britain which led to 120 cases of salmonella and one death.

Since the Outbreak in May, there has been no official ruling as to what specific Subway product was contaminated with the bacteria. The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control are working with Subway to try to figure out what had caused the forty eight people to be suddenly sick with Salmonella.

The disease had been reported in the following Illinois Counties:
Bureau, Cass, Champaigne, Christian, Coles, Fulton, Lasalle, Macon,
Marshall, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Sangamon, Schuyler, Shelby, Tazewell, Warren, and Will counties.

Symptoms of the bacteria include vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and fever. Symptoms usually occur between 6 and 72 hours after exposure and can last three to seven days in most patients. To avoid contracting the bacteria through person to person contact, it is recommended that people carefully wash their hands after using the bathroom.