CDC: Herbal drug Kratom linked to multi-state salmonella outbreak
TUESDAY, Feb. 20, 2018 -- The popular botanical drug kratom is already under fire from U.S. health officials as an addictive opioid, and now new reports are linking its use with salmonella poisoning.
In a news release issued Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that, along with several states and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it is "investigating a multistate outbreak of 28 salmonella infections in 20 states" linked to kratom use.
Kratom grows naturally in the Southeast Asian countries of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. It has been sold as a dietary supplement -- typically to help manage pain and boost energy.
But the CDC said that, so far, 11 people have been hospitalized with salmonella illness linked to their use of the leafy herb, although no deaths have yet been reported.
Read more: https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2018/02/20/CDC-Herbal-drug-Kratom-linked-to-multi-state-salmonella-outbreak/3131519163445/
