Sushi Suspected in Salmonella Outbreak

You might want to put down your chopsticks and set aside your wasabi for now—federal health officials suspect that sushi may be behind an ongoing salmonella outbreak in 19 states.

The Wall Street Journal reports that according to a recent internal Food and Drug Administration memo, investigators at the CDC postulate that sushi is the likely source of the trouble, "with spicy tuna roll sushi highly suspect."

An FDA spokesperson declined to elaborate on the memo when contacted by the paper on Wednesday, and U.S. News notes that federal health officials have been careful to stress publicly that they haven't pinpointed the exact source of the outbreak and aren't steering anyone away from any specific foods or restaurants.

Still, the CDC released a statement Wednesday confirming that an unusual strain of the salmonella bacteria is believed to have sickened at least 90, and that initial interviews suggest that many of those people reported "consuming sushi, sashimi, or similar foods in a variety of locations in the week before becoming ill."

While seven people have been hospitalized, there have been no reported fatalities.