Saturday, August 21, 2004 · Last updated 9:26 a.m. PT

More victims identified in Ohio illness

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PUT-IN-BAY, Ohio -- Health officials said Saturday that they have
confirmed more than 100 additional cases of an illness that's causing
cramps, diarrhea, nausea, fever and chills among visitors to this resort
area.

The number of people suffering from the gastrointestinal illness has
risen to 510, up from 378 documented cases Friday, Ohio Department of
Health spokesman Jay Carey said Saturday. Interviews with 168 more
people are pending, he said.

Investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are
helping county and state officials in their attempt to pinpoint the
cause of the illness on Lake Erie's South Bass Island, sometimes called
the "Key West of the Midwest."

The Ohio Department of Health has confirmed cases of salmonella,
norovirus and campylobacter among the victims, said spokesman Kristopher
Weiss.

All three germs have symptoms that match the outbreak. Campylobacter is
one of the most common bacterial causes of diarrhea and is usually
caused by eating or handling undercooked or raw chicken, according to
the CDC.
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