A salmonella outbreak that has spread across 37 states has been traced back to onions that were imported from Mexico. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that more than 650 people from across the country had been infected with salmonella after eating the contaminated onions.
The CDC has traced the cause of the spread to fresh red, white, and yellow onions imported from Chihuahua, Mexico. The agency warned people to check where the onions they had recently bought had come from.
An investigation found that the onion had mostly come from a company called ProSource Inc, which had distributed the contaminated vegetables to supermarkets, grocery stores, and restaurants across the country.
The CDC said the last batch of contaminated onions was shipped to stores around the end of August. Experts warned that salmonella could still be present in unsold or unused onion for up to three months, which means that contaminated onions could still be in homes and businesses.
The agency said it first received reports of the salmonella outbreak during the first week of September. Researchers were then able to link the cases to a single source. As of Thursday, the CDC had received a total of 652 cases across 37 states.
The CDC said that most of the cases were reported from Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia, Maryland, and Illinois.
The Other cases were reported from California, Oregon, South and North Dakota, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Florida, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York.
So far, no one has died from salmonella. However, at least 129 people had to be admitted to the hospital after suffering from serious symptoms, which included diarrhea, stomach cramps, and fever. The symptoms usually appear within six hours to six days after being exposed to the bacteria. The CDC said it is currently trying to track down where ProSource had shipped the contaminated onions.
"If you can't tell where they are from, throw them away. Wash and sanitize any surfaces that may have come in contact with these onions," the CDC said.
