BOISE - More than 130 people in 38 states have become sick after consuming kratom contaminated with salmonella.
“Idaho has had eight cases,” said Idaho Department of Health and Welfare spokeswoman Niki Forbing-Orr. “I know that one person did have to be hospitalized and thankfully no deaths.”
Salmonella can have serious side effects if not treated. Symptoms include cramps, fever and diarrhea.
“The illness lasts usually from four to seven days and a lot of people recover without treatment,” Forbing-Orr said. “They just kind of suffer through it.”
Kratom is a plant people use to alleviate pain, fight fatigue and some people even use it as an opioid substitute to recover from addiction.
People can buy it over-the-counter at herbal supplement stores or, in some cases, smoke shops.
Public health officials say those who have become sick consumed the contaminated kratom as pills, powder or in tea.
The Food and Drug Administration issued a mandatory recall for some kratom products that might be contaminated.
The American Kratom Association sent KTVB a statement that reads in part:
"With the recent Salmonella contamination of certain kratom products, the AKA continues to stress the importance of appropriate testing, proper packaging, and the adherence to the highest safety and purity standards. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has an important role in working with the AKA and members of the kratom community to ensure kratom products are not contaminated by Salmonella or other harmful pathogens."
Health and Welfare says as of right now the contaminated products are not coming from one single supplier or brand, so that's why they're asking people to avoid it all until the outbreak is over.
“People have gotten their products at various retailers in several different states,” Forbing-Orr said. “They've also ordered it online, so to be safe your best bet at this point is to just avoid those products with kratom in it.”