Wyoming Red Onion Salmonella Outbreak

Posted in Our Blog,Outbreaks & Recalls,Salmonella on July 31, 2020

Wyoming hasn’t been able to escape the latest Salmonella outbreak which seems to be rooted (no pun intended) in red onions. Current CDC statistics say that there are 11 reported cases which everyone knows could be many more as often Salmonella goes undetected. Here is what we know about the Wyoming Red Onion Salmonella Outbreak.

Illnesses started on dates ranging from June 19, 2020, to July 12, 2020. Ill people range in age from less than 1 to 102 years, with a median age of 39. Fifty-two percent of ill people are female. Of 236 ill people with information available, 59 hospitalizations have been reported. No deaths have been reported.

Illnesses might not yet be reported due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported. This takes an average of 2 to 4 weeks. Please see the Timeline for Reporting Cases of Salmonella Infection for more details.

Whole genome sequencing analysis of 48 isolates from ill people did not predict any antibiotic resistance. Standard antibiotic susceptibility testing by CDC’s National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) laboratory is currently underway.

Latest from the CDC:

• Since our last update on July 24, 2020, an additional 184 ill people have been reported in this outbreak, including 37 from 11 new states: Alaska, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas.
• A total of 396 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Newport have been reported from 34 states.
  • 59 hospitalizations have been reported. No deaths have been reported.
• A specific food, grocery store, or restaurant chain has not been identified as the source of this outbreak.
• CDC is not advising that consumers avoid eating any specific foods, or that retailers stop selling any specific foods.
• This investigation is ongoing. CDC will provide more information as it becomes available.

Advice & What To Do if You Think You Are a Victim:

State and local public health officials are interviewing ill people to determine what they ate and other exposures in the week before their illness started. CDC encourages people experiencing symptoms of a Salmonella infection to report their illness to their local health department and participate in these interviews. This information is vital for public health officials to identify the source of this outbreak and to take steps to prevent additional illnesses.

CDC is not recommending that consumers avoid any particular food at this time. Restaurants and retailers are not advised to avoid serving or selling any particular food. We will provide more information as it becomes available.

Take action if you have symptoms of an Salmonella infection:

• Talk to your healthcare provider.
• Write down what you ate in the week before you started to get sick.
• Report your illness to your local health department.
  • The health department will likely call you for an interview to ask you about foods you ate in the week before you got sick.
• Assist public health investigators by answering their questions when they contact you. This information could help identify the source of the outbreak and prevent other people from getting sick.

Symptoms

• Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 6 hours to 6 days after being exposed to the bacteria.
• The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment.
• In some people, the illness may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other places in the body.
• Children younger than 5 years, adults 65 years and older, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.
• For more information, see Symptoms of Salmonella Infection.

CDC advises consumers to follow these four steps to help prevent Salmonella infection:

• Clean: Wash your hands and surfaces often, and wash fruits and vegetables before eating, cutting, or peeling.
• Separate: Keep food that won’t be cooked before it is eaten, such as fresh fruit, salads, and deli meats, away from raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
• Cook: To a temperature high enough to kill germs
• Chill: Refrigerate perishable foods within 2 hours; 1 hour if it’s 90°F or hotter outside.

Important to Know:

This outbreak is rapidly growing in size. It appears that red onions are the source of the outbreak. A recall has been initiated in Canada for red onions by Sysco.

If you have symptoms of a Salmonella infection, report your illness to your local health department and talk to a healthcare provider. If you receive a call from your health department, please answer their questions about your illness and the foods you ate before you got sick. This information is vital for public health officials to identify the source of this outbreak and to take steps to prevent additional illnesses.

How The Lange Law Firm Can Help

Our mission is to help families who have been harmed by contaminated food or water.  When corporations cause Salmonella food poisoning outbreaks, we use the law to hold them accountable.  The Lange Law Firm is one of the only law firms in the nation focused on representing families in food poisoning lawsuits.

If you got sick in this latest Wyoming Red Onion Salmonella Outbreak and are interested in making a legal claim for compensation, we can help.  Our Salmonella lawyer can help you pursue compensation for your Salmonella food poisoning.  Call us for a free no obligation legal consultation at (833) 330-3663 or send us an e-mail here.

By: Samantha Cooper