By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis – An outbreak of Salmonella has infected 22 workers and five patients at St. Louis Children's Hospital.
The bacteria is usually transmitted via food, and symptoms of infection include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps.
Hospital officials have not yet found the source of the outbreak, but have shut down the cafeteria and asked the St. Louis Health Department to help investigate.
Dr. Alexis Elward heads infection control at Children's Hospital.
"We're currently in the process of screening our health care workers for symptoms of gastrointestinal illness, and if people have symptoms, we're furloughing them from work and obtaining stool cultures," Elward said.
Elward said the infection is not life-threatening, and all those affected are recovering.