3 more salmonella cases reported in Yakima area

Three new cases of salmonella have been confirmed in Yakima County as part of a growing statewide outbreak, state health officials said Friday.

Four cases have now been confirmed in the county. Yakima County remains the only county east of the Cascades reporting salmonella cases.

The number of statewide cases rose to 90, up from about 55 the previous week, according to a news release from the state Department of Health. Most of the confirmed cases come from densely populated King County.

A spokesman for the agency said two male teens and two female children have been infected in Yakima County; the outbreak has been linked to pork products. None of the youths afflicted has been hospitalized.

According to the news release, the increase in cases prompted state health officials to ask the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for aid with the investigation. A CDC team of “disease detectives,” as the state agency calls them, will arrive this week.