A salmonella outbreak linked to a major egg recall has sickened at least 79 people across seven U.S. states, federal health and food safety officials announced Friday. This follows a string of recent salmonella incidents linked to contaminated food products.
“Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback data show that eggs distributed by August Egg Company may be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis and may be making people sick,” the CDC said, adding that multiple agencies and health officials are working together to investigate the outbreak.
The recall affects consumers in nine states: Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Washington, and Wyoming. While the recalled eggs were distributed in all nine states, confirmed salmonella cases have been reported in seven of them.
The FDA said the recalled eggs were distributed to California and Nevada retailers between February 3 and May 15, with sell-by dates ranging from March 4 to June 4. Retailers include Save Mart, FoodMaxx, Lucky, Smart & Final, Safeway, Raley’s, Food 4 Less, and Ralphs.
In the broader nine-state region, the eggs were distributed to Walmart stores between February 3 and May 6, with sell-by dates ranging from March 4 to June 19.
August Egg Company said it is committed to a full investigation and vowed to implement all necessary corrective actions “to ensure this does not happen again.”
“When our processing plant identified this concern, we immediately began diverting all eggs from the plant to an egg-breaking facility, which pasteurizes the eggs and kills any pathogens,” the company said in a statement.
Salmonella infections typically cause diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, vomiting, and dehydration. Symptoms usually begin between six hours and six days after exposure and last up to a week. While most people recover without medical treatment, the illness can be severe, especially for young children, older adults, and individuals with weakened immune systems.
The CDC recommends that consumers wash their hands, utensils, and surfaces thoroughly after handling eggs or poultry. Recalled eggs should be safely discarded or returned to the point of purchase, and any areas that may have come into contact with the eggs should be disinfected.
From The Epoch Times
