CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. (AP) - Health officials say about 150 people living in eight states have been sickened by salmonella after attending a chili cook-off in Virginia.
Dr. David Matson, director of the state's Eastern Shore Health District, said by phone Wednesday that half of them have sought medical treatment. Some have been hospitalized.
More than 2,000 people attended the 18th Annual Chincoteague Chili Chowder Cook-Off and Car Show on Sept. 30.
Matson said most people sickened by the bacteria have already become ill with diarrhea, vomiting and fever. But some could become sick after two or three weeks.
Officials are asking cook-off attendees to fill out a survey as they determine the bacteria's source.
People who've gotten sick live in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and North Carolina.
