According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment five cases of Salmonella have been identified in Northeast Kansas. In a press release issued Friday, the department said the cases were linked to a regional outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul.

Kansas is currently one of five states affected by the outbreak and all of the Kansas cases are in the northeast part of the state. This outbreak does not have any link to the recent peanut butter outbreak but has been linked to sprouts although laboratory testing is yet to confirm them as the source.

A possible link has been identified with sprouts from SunSprout Enterprises, Inc. of Omaha, Nebraska and as a precautionary measure, the company has voluntarily recalled its alfalfa, onion and gourmet sprouts.

The outbreak investigations are jointly being undertaken by KDHE, the Kansas Department of Agriculture as well as local health departments.

The United States gets reports of about 40,000 cases of salmonellosis (Salmonella infection) every year, more common in the summer than winter. Health authorities feel the number could be as much as thirty or more times greater as many of the cases are not reported.

A salmonella infection usually lasts anywhere from 4-7 days and people infected can develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Most people recover without any treatment though in the case of more severe infections the patient could require hospitalization. Salmonella tends to affect the elderly, infants, and those with compromised immune systems most severely.