A salmonella outbreak linked to onions has spread to 47 states, with more than 100 people hospitalized after eating the contaminated vegetables.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released an update on the outbreak on Tuesday, saying that since the last update of the case count on August 7, an “additional 229 sick people have been reported in this outbreak, including 9 out of 4 new states: Arkansas, Hawaii, Rhode Island and Texas. ”
TRAVELED TO ALL 50 STATES LINES TO SALMONELLA Eruption
In total, the outbreak has spread to 47 states, with some 869 reported cases. At least 116 people have been hospitalized in connection with the outbreak, although no deaths have been reported so far.
“Information on epidemiological and traceback showed that red onions are a likely source of this outbreak. “Because of the way onions are grown and harvested, other types of eggs, such as white, yellow, or sweet yellow, can also be contaminated,” the CDC said.
“Foods made with scallions such as cheese dips or spread, salsa and chicken salads have also been recalled. Foods were sold at multiple supermarket chains, “the CDC warned.
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The first memory involved onions from Thomson International Inc., a grower and supplier in California. The company’s onions were sold under a variety of brands, including Thomson International, Thomson Premium, TLC Thomson International, Tender Loving Care, El Competitor, Hartley’s Best, Onions 52, Majestic, Imperial Fresh, Kroger, Utah Onions and Food Lion, per an announcement on August 1 shared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the CDC. The same reminder announcement confirmed that the supplier’s onions were distributed to wholesalers, restaurants, and retail locations in all 50 states (and Washington, DC) and Canada.
“Foods made with scallions such as cheese dips or spread, salsa and chicken salads have also been recalled. Foods were sold at multiple supermarket chains, “the CDC warned.
The list of recalled onions and food can be found here.
Symptoms of salmonella usually develop 12 to 72 hours after being exposed to the bacteria, with most people developing diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. The disease usually lasts four to seven days and most people recover without treatment.
In some cases, however, the disease may become severe enough to require hospitalization. “Salmonella infection can spread from the intestine to the bloodstream and then to other places in the body,” per CDC.
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Federal health officials say children under 5, pregnant women, adults 65 and older, and people with a weakened immune system are more likely to have a serious illness.
Salmonella causes about 1.35 million diseases in the US each year, with food being the source of the majority of diseases, according to the CDC.
Fox News’ Michael Bartiromo contributed to this report.
