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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suspects raw tuna has caused a salmonella outbreak in nine states.

(The Associated Press)

State and federal health officials are investigating a salmonella outbreak they suspect is linked to sushi that's sickened dozens of people in nine states.

Though no brand or food item has been nailed down as the culprit, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that most patients who've been interviewed reported eating raw tuna sushi the week before getting sick.

The outbreak includes more than 50 people in Arizona, California, Illinois, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. So far, Oregon has been spared. Most of the patients either live in the southwestern United States or traveled there before getting ill.

The strain in the outbreak is salmonella Paratyphi B variant L(+) tartrate(+), which typically causes diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps but is not associated with paratyphoid fever, enteric fever or typhoid fever.

At least 10 people, sickened between early March through early May, have been hospitalized.

Raw fish, meat, poultry and other food can be contaminated with salmonella. Thorough cooking destroys the bacteria.

-- Lynne Terry

lterry@oregonian.com; 503-221-8503