An estimated 89 people from 15 states and the District of Columbia have been infected with Salmonella in an outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported last week.
This was CDC's first public acknowledgment of its involvement in the outbreak investigation, which is related to 50 Salmonella illnesses already reported in Illinois and associated there with Jimmy John's sandwich outlets.
"Preliminary results of this investigation indicate a link to eating alfalfa sprouts at a national sandwich chain," the CDC said.
Sandwich chain exec Jimmy John Liautaud had written to franchisees in Illinois, asking them to remove alfalfa sprouts from menus as a precautionary measure. The CDC said that in addition to the Illinois cases, there have been single cases confirmed with the outbreak strain (Salmonella serotype 4,[5],12:i:-) in Connecticut, Washington D.C., Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, New York, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Three cases have been confirmed in Wisconsin, nine in Indiana and 14 in Missouri.
Because the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern associated with this particular Salmonella serotype commonly occurs in the United States, the CDC cautioned that some of the cases identified may not actually be related to this outbreak.
Among 81 people for whom information is available, the onset of their illnesses ranged from Nov. 1 to Dec. 14, the CDC reported. Illnesses that occurred after Dec. 2 might not yet be reported to the CDC, because it takes an average of two to three weeks from when a person becomes ill to when the illness is reported. The CDC said the case patients range in age from 1 to 75 years, with a median age of 28. Sixty-eight percent of them are female. Among those cases in which information was made available to the CDC, 23 percent reported being hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
CDC said it is collaborating with public health officials in many states and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to identify new cases and to try to trace potentially contaminated products.
Sprouts should be cooked thoroughly to kill harmful bacteria and reduce the risk of illness. The CDC suggests that consumers request raw sprouts not be added to their food.
Sources: www.foodsafetynews.com
This was CDC's first public acknowledgment of its involvement in the outbreak investigation, which is related to 50 Salmonella illnesses already reported in Illinois and associated there with Jimmy John's sandwich outlets."Preliminary results of this investigation indicate a link to eating alfalfa sprouts at a national sandwich chain," the CDC said.
Sandwich chain exec Jimmy John Liautaud had written to franchisees in Illinois, asking them to remove alfalfa sprouts from menus as a precautionary measure. The CDC said that in addition to the Illinois cases, there have been single cases confirmed with the outbreak strain (Salmonella serotype 4,[5],12:i:-) in Connecticut, Washington D.C., Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, New York, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Three cases have been confirmed in Wisconsin, nine in Indiana and 14 in Missouri.
Because the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern associated with this particular Salmonella serotype commonly occurs in the United States, the CDC cautioned that some of the cases identified may not actually be related to this outbreak.
Among 81 people for whom information is available, the onset of their illnesses ranged from Nov. 1 to Dec. 14, the CDC reported. Illnesses that occurred after Dec. 2 might not yet be reported to the CDC, because it takes an average of two to three weeks from when a person becomes ill to when the illness is reported. The CDC said the case patients range in age from 1 to 75 years, with a median age of 28. Sixty-eight percent of them are female. Among those cases in which information was made available to the CDC, 23 percent reported being hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
CDC said it is collaborating with public health officials in many states and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to identify new cases and to try to trace potentially contaminated products.
Sprouts should be cooked thoroughly to kill harmful bacteria and reduce the risk of illness. The CDC suggests that consumers request raw sprouts not be added to their food.
Sources: www.foodsafetynews.com
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