Multistate salmonella outbreak linked to recalled diced onion products

By Deidre McPhillips, CNN

(CNN) — A multistate salmonella outbreak has caused at least 73 illnesses across 22 states, including 15 hospitalizations, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC has issued a food safety alert for certain diced onion products from Gills Onions that have been linked to the outbreak, and the company has issued a voluntarily recall. People should not eat or serve the recalled onions or foods made with the onions.

Products include some lots of diced yellow onions (3-pound bags and 8-ounce cups), diced celery and onions (8-ounce cups), diced mirepoix (10-ounce cups) and diced red onions (8-ounce cups).

The affected lots had use-by dates between August 8 and August 28 and are no longer being sold in stores. But the CDC recommends checking freezers and refrigerators for any of these products so that they can be thrown out or returned. Any items or surfaces that may have touched the recalled onion products should be washed and sanitized with hot soapy water or in a dishwasher.

The recalled Gills Onions products were sold in stores and sent to restaurants and institutions in the US and Canada. One subcluster was identified in a long-term care facility.

The CDC investigation is ongoing, but the agency cautions that the outbreak is likely much larger than the number of reported cases suggests.

Symptoms of a salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps that can start within hours or days of consuming the bacteria.

Most people will recover with treatment but should seek immediate attention from a health care provider if they have severe symptoms, symptoms that don’t improve after a few days or signs of dehydration. Seniors, children younger than 5 and people with weakened immune systems have a higher risk for severe illness.

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