East End salmonella outbreak being investigated by Suffolk County health officials

Suffolk County health officials have launched an investigation into a salmonella outbreak on the East End after dozens of people were hospitalized with the infection.

Stony Brook Southampton Hospital said it has admitted 58 patients with the foodborne illness since the beginning of July.

"The majority of the patients were evaluated, treated, and discharged," a hospital spokesperson said in a statement. "As required, SBSH promptly notified the New York State Department of Health to support its public health investigation."

State health officials referred all questions to the Suffolk County health department.

The illness appears to be concentrated in the Shinnecock Indian Nation community, according to a report.

Tribal Chairwoman Lisa Goree told The Southampton Press that as many as 60 members of her tribe had fallen ill from the salmonella bacteria.

"We had about 60 tribe members that we have confirmed came down with salmonella poisoning and several had to be hospitalized," Goree told the news outlet. "Most were seen and released, but a lot of people are still feeling the symptoms, and we are told it can take six to 10 days for the symptoms to end."

Goree and other representatives of the Shinnecock Indian Nation did not respond to Newsday requests for comment on Sunday.

State and local health officials did not say what the source of the illness is, but county officials said they are looking into it.

"The Suffolk County Department of Health Services is involved in collecting information on a salmonella outbreak on the East End of Long Island," a department spokesperson said in a statement.

Goree told The Southampton Press that most who became sick had been to a June 30 funeral meal for a Shinnecock member.

There also were reports of salmonella illness at a local music festival as early as June 27.

According to the state Department of Health website, thousands of people become stricken with salmonella poisoning every year. The bacteria thrive in uncooked food like raw oysters, eggs and chicken, according to the online information.

The symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever and, sometimes, vomiting.

European health officials confirmed 106 cases of salmonella across 14 countries linked to flavored noodle products earlier this month, according to The Associated Press.

In December, seven New Yorkers, including at least one person from Long Island, experienced salmonella sickness linked to raw oysters, Newsday previously reported.

Sickness from salmonella typically lasts four to seven days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and normally does not require treatment.