Federal health officials said Friday that a multistate outbreak involving E. coli and salmonella, which has sickened dozens of people in 15 states, has been traced to an alfalfa sprout grower in Minnesota.
In a news release, the Food and Drug Administration said investigators linked the illnesses to alfalfa sprouts distributed by Minneapolis-based Everything Sprouts and sold under the Everything Sprouts and Calco labels. The FDA said the sprouts were supplied to both restaurants and grocery stores.
Later Friday, Everything Sprouts announced a voluntary recall of select lots of alfalfa sprouts because they may be contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and salmonella.
According to the company, the recalled alfalfa sprouts were distributed beginning May 27 to third-party distributors and retail grocery stores in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Some affected products were packaged in 5-ounce plastic containers with lids, Everything Sprouts said.
Everything Sprouts said it has been conducting daily testing since the outbreak was identified and has “not received any positive lab results.”
“To date, no reports of illnesses involving Everyday Sprouts Alfalfa Sprouts have been reported to the company,” Everything Sprouts said in its statement.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed at least 55 outbreak-related E. coli and salmonella cases so far. Four people have been hospitalized.
Of the 55 confirmed illnesses tied to the outbreak nationwide, the FDA said 46 people were infected with E. coli, seven were infected with salmonella and two had both infections.
The illnesses were reported from May 31 to Aug. 8, the FDA said.
Minnesota and Wisconsin appear to have experienced the most cases so far. The Minnesota Department of Health reported its own numbers Thursday, saying there have been at least 23 cases of salmonella or E. coli in the state between July 8 and Aug. 8 linked to alfalfa sprouts, with two of those cases resulting in hospitalization.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported Thursday at least 17 cases of E. coli and salmonella, with one hospitalization.
Other states with cases linked to the outbreak are Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota and Washington, according to the FDA.
According to the CDC, symptoms of E. coli caused by the Shiga toxin can include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea that could be bloody and vomiting.
Symptoms of salmonella include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps.
This follows an ongoing salmonella outbreak first reported in June linked to jalapeño peppers grown in Sinaloa, Mexico, that has so far sickened more than 400 people across 32 states, according to the CDC.
