SALMONELLOSIS, SEROTYPE SAINTPAUL - USA (03): SPROUTS, GEOGRAPHIC SPREAD
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A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Mon 9 Mar 2009
Source: Enews 2.0 [edited]
http://www.enews20.com/news_Sprouts_Probed_in_Salmonella_Outbreak_in_5_States_16799.html
Five states have now reported _Salmonella_ Saintpaul bacterial
infections thought to be linked to sprouts from SunSprout Enterprises
Inc. of Omaha, Nebraska. Although laboratory testing did not confirm
sprouts as the source, as a precautionary measure, the company
voluntarily recalled its alfalfa, onion, and gourmet sprouts.
According to the Food and Drug Administration spokesman Mike Herndon,
an inspection at Sun Sprout was ongoing, but no cause of the
salmonella outbreak had been found so far. Company officials said
sprouts suspected to be involved in the current salmonella cases were
distributed to food distributors in Iowa and Nebraska who sell the
product to restaurants and retail stores.
The sprouts were sold refrigerated under the SunSprout label in
4-ounce clear plastic clamshell containers. The alfalfa sprouts are
also packaged in bulk 2.5-pound and 5-pound cases for use in
restaurants. The onion sprouts and gourmet sprouts are not packaged
in bulk form.
The 5 states have reported about 50 cases of salmonella infection.
They are Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, and Missouri.
[Byline: Sophia Keenan]
—
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
promed@promedmail.org
[To reiterate, this serotype Saintpaul outbreak is genetically not
related by the previous outbreak in the USA related to tomatoes/jalapenos.
The 5 Midwestern states involved can be located on the
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of the US at
http://healthmap.org/promed/en?v=40,-97.6,4
- Mod.LL]
Thanks for the ‘heads up’, Ruth. As soon as my son gets the snow plowed from our little road, I’m headed to Safeway. I’ll check to see if they have been pulled from the produce section.