The Region : Sharp Rise in Salmonella Cases Reported

More than 130 cases of salmonella newport--two of them fatal--have been reported in the Los Angeles area since July, the county Department of Health Services said. A report from Robert Gates, director of health services, said only 28 cases were reported in the same period a year ago, and 36 in third quarter of 1983. The dramatic increase is surprising, Gates said, because this year it is hitting young adults, whereas children are the usual victims. Salmonella newport is associated, Gates said, with eating improperly cooked poultry and beef or raw milk and eggs. No common food source for the current rash of cases has as yet been identified, he said.