On Thursday, Hawaiian officials reported ten people had become ill with salmonella poisoning after eating Ahi Tuna which is imported. According to the Department of Health, the infected people stated they had eaten the tuna raw. It is served normally as Poke and is served throughout Oahu.

The fish was processed from another country and was not infected locally. Apparently the Salmonella outbreak is from foreign tuna that was frozen then sent by sea to California and then was sent to Hawaii for distribution.

The director is warning that when you eat raw fish, meats, or other foods, you are putting you and your health at risk. Bacteria love to grow on these foods. But, it is rare for Salmonella to occur naturally on tuna.

Salmonella is a bacterium. It causes cramps, diarrhea, and fever. It is introduced in processing chickens and eggs. The DOH is very concerned because these cases look similar to some cases back 2 years ago. There were thirty-five cases of Salmonella poisoning back in October ‘07 to February ‘08. The FDA is helping in the investigation to identify the cause of the outbreak so it will not happen again.

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