Alfalfa sprouts might be the cause of a salmonella outbreak that has made 89 people sick. More than 20% have been hospitalized, but as of this report, there are no confirmed deaths because of the outbreak. Most of the cases have sprung up in the Midwest with most of the cases appearing in Illinois.
This case has been in the news recently, with some like the Department of Health seeing if it could possibly be a wide chain that had caused the problems. Some of the problems were initially seen to have come from Jimmy John’s. However, the owner of Jimmy John’s has said that the tests of their alfalfa sprouts have come up negative. He also urged restaurants in that area to pull their alfalfa sprout products until the state would give them clearance.
While it is not sure what or who caused the outbreak in the first place, it is now confirmed that it has been caused by contaminated alfalfa sprouts. The CDC and Food and Drug Administration are investigating the salmonella outbreak further. Symptoms of salmonella are usually fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pain within a day or two.
Hopefully the cause of this outbreak can be fully understood in the next coming weeks. The CDC and Food and Drug Administration are performing tests on the salmonella alfalfa sprouts. In the meantime, they urge those who are eating alfalfa sprouts to cook them thoroughly before eating them.
There has been other reports of salmonella outbreaks in the news recently, however Jimmy John’s owner has said that their tests on their sprout suppliers have all come up negative. In the meantime, eat your sprouts carefully, and always be wary of salmonella. If your condition worsens, be sure to visit the emergency room as some cases can become fatal.
