Kratom, a controversial herbal supplement used for pain relief, is likely behind a salmonella outbreak that has affected 20 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Mitragyna speciosa, commonly called kratom, is often billed as a safer alternative to conventional painkillers. But the supplement made headlines a few weeks ago, when Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials said that kratom contains the same addictive, potentially dangerous chemicals found in opioids, and submitted a review to that effect to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

The bad news about kratom continues with the CDC’s announcement, which says a nationwide bout of salmonellosis, or salmonella infections, may be related to it. Twenty-eight people from 20 states across the country had come down with same strain of salmonella as of Feb. 16, according to the CDC. Eight of 11 sick people interviewed had consumed kratom, the announcement says, leading the CDC to believe that supplies of the supplement may have been contaminated.


[link to time.com]