FIFTEEN people are believed to have suffered from Salmonella poisoning after eating in a Cumbrian town, officials have said.

10 cases of the bug have been confirmed by laboratory tests and there are five probable cases awaiting confirmation.

Officials say all those taken ill had visited Penrith over the weekend of 15-16 November.

However, they are unable so far to pinpoint the source of the illness, said a statement.

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Specialists from the Cumbria and Lancashire Public Health England Centre and environmental health officers from Eden District Council are investigating.

Dr Nicola Schinaia, from the Cumbria and Lancashire PHE Centre said: “At this stage it’s not possible to pinpoint exactly the source of the illness; however we are undertaking further detailed investigations that will provide us with more information.

“To aid this we would urge anyone who purchased and ate food in Penrith over that weekend and has subsequently suffered symptoms such as diarrhoea to contact Eden District Council’s Environmental Health Department.

"We are also asking people to complete a confidential online survey to help us with the investigation - http://tinyurl.com/Penrith2014"

Symptoms of Salmonella usually involve fever, vomiting, diarrohea and stomach cramps, which usually last around a week.

Salmonella can get into the food chain by infecting animals via their feed and from their environment.

Typical Salmonella bugs infect foods of animal origin, like meat, poultry, eggs and raw milk.

People get the bug by drinking foods contaminated with Salmonella, usually raw or undercooked poultry or beef, raw milk, raw eggs, or contaminated fruits and vegetables.

It can also be contracted by handling certain animals, such as reptiles (including pet turtles), chicks, or ducklings.