Jimmy John’s LLC reported that all of its restaurants stopped serving clover sprouts on February 24, 2020. Investigators worked to trace the source of the clover sprouts served at the Jimmy John’s restaurants where sick people ate, and to determine whether other restaurants or retailers received the same clover sprouts.

FDA is now recommending that consumers not eat the following sprout-containing items from Chicago Indoor Garden, Chicago, IL, with Best By dates between December 1, 2019 and March 12, 2020: red clover (with and without non-GMO labels), sprout salad, mixed greens, and spring salad. Labels of the products are below.

The FDA’s analysis of a sample of this firm’s product identified the presence of E. coli O103. Whole Genome Sequencing of this bacteria showed that it matches the outbreak strain.

Generally, it is recommended that children, the elderly, pregnant women, and persons with weakened immune systems should avoid eating raw sprouts of any kind.

FDA, along with CDC and state and local partners, are investigating an outbreak of 14 illnesses caused by E. coli O103 in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Texas and Utah likely linked to clover sprouts served at Jimmy John’s.

As the outbreak investigation progresses, the FDA will continue in its traceback investigation to determine where implicated sprouts have been distributed and will continue monitoring for additional illnesses associated with this outbreak.

As of February 25, 2020, 14 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O103 have been reported from five states.

Illnesses started on dates ranging from January 6, 2020, to February 11, 2020. Ill people range in age from 1 to 79 years, with a median age of 28. Sixty-two percent of ill people are male. No hospitalizations and no deaths have been reported.

Illnesses might not yet be reported due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported. This takes an average of 3 to 4 weeks. Please see the Timeline for Reporting Cases of E. coli Infection for more details.

Epidemiologic evidence indicates that sprouts from Jimmy John’s restaurants are a likely source of this outbreak.

State and local public health officials are interviewing ill people to determine what they ate and other exposures in the week before their illness started. Five of six people (83%) interviewed reported eating at a Jimmy John’s restaurant. Of the six people interviewed, four (67%) remembered eating sprouts on a sandwich from Jimmy John’s.

Jimmy John’s LLC reported that all of its restaurants stopped serving clover sprouts on February 24, 2020. Investigators are working to trace the source of the clover sprouts served at the Jimmy John’s restaurants where sick people ate, and to determine whether other restaurants or retailers received the same clover sprouts.

According to the FDA, Sprouts Unlimited of Marion Iowa is recalling clover spouts in 4 oz packages because it may be contaminated with Escherichia coli O103 bacteria (E. coli O103).

The affected batches of clover sprouts were distributed to Hy Vee Food stores, Fareway Food Stores and Jimmy John’s restaurants in Iowa.

The sprouts available at retail were packaged in in pint containers from Sprouts Unlimited Inc. with a blue label on the lid. The UPC code 7 32684 00013 6 is stamped on the bottom right side of the label.

Sprouts Unlimited Inc. became aware of the potential contamination after receiving information from the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, Des Moines, IA that a cluster of E. coli O103 illnesses epidemiologically linked to clover sprouts from Sprouts Unlimited Inc. An investigation and further tests are being conducted to determine the source.

Sprouts have long been a problem as my friend Doug has repeatedly warned on Barfblog:

Kate Bernot of The Take Out wrote, “If you ask anyone in food safety, ‘What is the one food you will not eat?’ Raw sprouts tops the list, always.”

That’s one of the first sentences out of the mouth of Doug Powell, a former professor of food safety and the publisher of barfblog, a frequently updated site that publishes evidence-based opinions on food safety.

I’ve asked him whether food-safety fears about sprouts—those tiny, crunchy squiggles in your salad or sandwich—are well-founded. He tells me the public isn’t concerned enough about them.

“Risk is inherent in the nature of the product which is why Walmart and Costco got rid of them,” he says. (Kroger also stopped selling sprouts in 2012.) “This is not a new problem. It’s been going on for decades.”

According to a paper he and three colleagues published in the journal Food Control in 2012, sprouts have been responsible for at least 55 documented foodborne outbreaks affecting more than 15,000 people globally in the past two decades. The Food And Drug Administration tallies 46 reported outbreaks of foodborne illness in the United States linked to sprouts between 1996 and 2016, accounting for for 2,474 illnesses, 187 hospitalizations, and three deaths. In an effort to reduce these outbreaks, the FDA in 2017 collected 825 samples of sprouts from across the U.S.; 14 of those tested positive for E. coli, listeria, or Salmonella.

Here’s a table of over 75 sprout-related outbreaks going back to 1973.

Almost 70 people have fallen ill in New Zealand with Salmonella infections from alfalfa sprouts.

GSF Fresh New Zealand recalled some of its Pams, Sproutman and Fresh Harvest branded sprout products because of a “production process concern” at the end of March.

Recalled Pams brand sprouts

“Salmonella Typhimurium phage type 108/170 was the causative pathogen identified from cases, sprouts and spent irrigation water tested in this outbreak. Subtyping using Multiple Locus Variable-Number Tandem Repeat Analysis (MLVA) and whole genome sequencing methods were performed on isolates to confirm cases in the outbreak as well as the outbreak source,” said the spokesman.

Analysis of information from people who got sick and test results confirmed the strain of Salmonella was identical to a strain detected in alfalfa sprouts and indicates the product is the likely source of illness.

There were only four cases of this phage type identified in 2018, 13 in 2017 and 19 in 2016.

Recalled sprouts had best before dates of March 31 to April 4. GSF New Zealand is one of the largest produce manufacturers in New Zealand, according to the firm’s website. The company operates a plant in Auckland which manufactures fresh produce for restaurants throughout the country.

Recalled Fresh Harvest brand sprouts

Fresh Harvest brand products were sold in Countdown, Fresh Choice and SuperValue supermarkets throughout the North Island. Pams Superfoods Super Salad Mix was sold in supermarkets across New Zealand. Other Pams brand sprouts affected by the recall were only sold in supermarkets around the North Island. Sproutman brand products were sold in stores and retail outlets across the country.

Pams brand sprouts sold in the South Island are made by a different supplier, Southern Alps Sprouts Ltd, and were not affected by the recall.

Onset date of the first known case was Dec. 23, 2018. The most recent case was reported on April 1, 2019. Between that period there were 67 confirmed and two probable infections. The majority of cases – 66 – fell ill between Jan. 23 to 25. No deaths were reported, but 17 people needed hospital treatment.

Cases were predominantly in the North Island and from the following District Health Boards: Waitemata (13 cases), Counties Manukau (8), Waikato, MidCentral and Hutt Valley (6 each), Capital and Coast (5), Wairarapa (4), Northland, Auckland and Hawke’s Bay (3 each), Lakes, Tairawhiti, Taranaki and Southern (2 each), Bay of Plenty, Whanganui, Nelson Marlborough and Canterbury (1 each).

The people affected ranged in age from 2 to 92 years old and almost two-thirds were women.

MPI advises consumers that the only way to make all varieties of sprouts safe is to cook them thoroughly.

The agency also recommends not to serve raw sprouts to young children and babies, the frail elderly, pregnant women, people who’ve recently had an operation and those who have a chronic illness or have been advised to take extra care with food safety.

  • Multistate Salmonella Outbreak, Jimmy John’s Restaurants Sprouts 2018

As of January 18, 2018, eight people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Montevideo have been reported from Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Illnesses started on dates ranging from December 20, 2017 to January 3, 2018. Ill people range in age from 26 to 50, with a median age of 34. All 8 (100%) are female. No hospitalizations and no deaths have been reported.  Evidence indicates that raw sprouts served at Jimmy John’s restaurants are a likely source of this multistate outbreak.

Federal, state, and local health and regulatory officials are conducting traceback investigations from the six Jimmy John’s locations where ill people ate raw sprouts. These investigations are ongoing to determine where the sprouts were distributed, and to learn more about the potential route of contamination. 

  • Multistate E. coli O121 Outbreak, Jimmy John’s Restaurants Alfalfa Sprouts 2014

19 Sickened – Public health officials in California, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, Utah and Washington collaborated with their federal partners at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate an outbreak of E. coli O121 that occurred in May 2014.  A total of 19 persons with the outbreak strain, identified by PulseNet PFGE Pattern Identification Numbers EXKX01.0011/EXKA26.0001, were reported.  Among persons for whom information was available, dates of illness onset ranged from May 1, 2014 to May 20, 2014.  Ill persons ranged from 11 years to 52 years.  Seven of 16 persons for whom information was available were hospitalized.  No ill person developed hemolytic uremic syndrome and no deaths were reported.

Epidemiologic and traceback investigations conducted by public health officials implicated raw clover sprouts produced by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC of Hayden, Idaho as the likely source of this outbreak.  Thirteen (81%) of 16 ill persons reported eating raw clover sprouts in the week before becoming ill.  Ill persons in Washington and Idaho reported eating sprouts in sandwiches at several local food establishments including several Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches locations, the Pita Pit, and Daanen’s Deli.

As part of the investigation the FDA performed a traceback analysis and determined that Evergreen Fresh Sprouts supplied sprouts to seven restaurants with outbreak associated cases.  This analysis used documents collected directly from the distributors and the grower, Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, as well as documents collected by the states from the points of service.

The FDA conducted several inspections at the Evergreen Fresh Sprouts facility in May and June.  During the inspections FDA investigators observed a number of unsanitary conditions, including condensate and irrigation water dripping from rusty valves, a rusty and corroded watering system in the mung bean room, tennis rackets (used to scoop mung bean sprouts) that had scratches, chips and frayed plastic; a pitchfork (used to transfer mung bean sprouts) that had corroded metal, and a squeegee (used to agitate mung bean sprouts inside a soak vat) that had visible corroded metal and non-treated wood.

On June 26, 2014 the FDA and CDC held a meeting with the owner of Evergreen Fresh Sprouts to advise the firm of FDA’s concerns that the seed lot used to row clover sprouts linked to this outbreak might be contaminated and to encourage Evergreen Fresh Sprouts to discontinue using that seed lot.  The owner of Evergreen Fresh Sprouts agreed to stop using the suspected lot of seeds.

  • Multistate E. coli O26 Outbreak, Jimmy John’s Restaurants Alfalfa Sprouts 2012

29 Sickened – A total of 29 individuals infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O26 were reported from 11 states, including:  Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), Iowa (5), Kansas (2), Michigan (10), Missouri (3), Ohio (3), Pennsylvania (1), Washington (1), Wisconsin (1), and West Virginia (1).

Of the 27 ill persons with available information, 23 (85%) reported consuming sprouts at Jimmy John’s restaurants in the 7 days preceding illness.  Among 29 ill persons, illness onset dates ranged from December 25, 2011 to March 3, 2012.  Ill persons range in age from 9 years to 57 years old, with a median age of 26 years.  89% of ill persons are female.  Among the 29 ill persons, 7 (24%) were hospitalized. None developed HUS, and no deaths were reported.

Preliminary traceback information identified a common lot of clover seeds used to grow clover sprouts served at Jimmy John’s restaurant locations where ill persons ate.  FDA and states conducted a traceback that identified two separate sprouting facilities; both used the same lot of seed to grow clover sprouts served at these Jimmy John’s restaurant locations.  On February 10, 2012, the seed supplier-initiated notification of sprouting facilities that received this lot of clover seed to stop using it.

Results of the epidemiologic and traceback investigations indicated eating raw clover sprouts at Jimmy John’s restaurants was the likely cause of this outbreak.

  • Sprouters Northwest, Jimmy John’s Restaurants Clover Salmonella Sprouts Outbreak 2010

7 Sickened – Sprouters Northwest of Kent, Washington, issued a product recall after the company’s clover sprouts had been implicated in an outbreak of Salmonella Newport in Oregon and Washington. At least some of the cases had consumed clover sprouts while at a Jimmy John’s restaurant. Jimmy John’s Restaurants are a restaurant chain that sells sandwiches. Concurrent with this outbreak, a separate Salmonella outbreak (Salmonella, serotype I 4,5,12,i- ; see Multistate Outbreak, Tiny Greens Organic Farm, Jimmy John’s Restaurants), involving alfalfa sprouts served at Jimmy John’s restaurants was under investigation. The recall of Northwest Sprouters products included: clover; clover & onion; spicy sprouts; and deli sprouts. The Sprouters Northwest products had been sold to grocery stores and wholesale operations in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. The FDA inspection found serious sanitary violations.

  • Multistate Salmonella Outbreak, Tiny Greens Organic Farm, Jimmy John’s Restaurants Alfalfa Sprouts 2010

140 Sickened – On December 17, the Illinois Department of Health announced that an investigation was underway into an outbreak of Salmonella, serotype I4,[5],12:i:-. Many of the Illinois cases had eaten alfalfa sprouts at various Jimmy John’s restaurants in the Illinois counties of: Adams, Champaign, Cook, DuPage, Kankakee, Macon, McHenry, McLean, Peoria, and Will counties. The sprouts were suspected to be the cause of the illnesses. On December 21, Jimmy John Liautaud, the owner of the franchised restaurant chain, requested that all franchisees remove sprouts from the menu as a “precautionary” measure. On December 23, the Centers for Disease Control revealed that outbreak cases had been detected in other states and that the outbreak was linked with eating alfalfa sprouts while at a nationwide sandwich chain. On December 26, preliminary results of the investigation indicated a link to eating Tiny Greens’ Alfalfa Sprouts at Jimmy John’s restaurant outlets. The FDA subsequently advised consumers and restaurants to avoid Tiny Greens Brand Alfalfa Sprouts and Spicy Sprouts produced by Tiny Greens Organic Farm of Urbana, Illinois. The Spicy Sprouts contained alfalfa, radish and clover sprouts. On January 14, 2011, it was revealed that the FDA had isolated Salmonella serotype I4,[5],12:i:- from a water runoff sample collected from Tiny Greens Organic Farm; the Salmonella isolated was indistinguishable from the outbreak strain. The several FDA inspections of the sprout growing facility revealed factors that likely led to contamination of the sprouts.

  • CW Sprouts, Inc., SunSprout Sprouts, “restaurant chain (Chain A),” a.k.a. Jimmy John’s Salmonella Outbreak 2009

256 Sickened – In February, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services officials identified six isolates of Salmonella Saintpaul. Although this is a common strain of Salmonella, during 2008, only three cases had been detected in Nebraska and only four subtypes of this outbreak strain had been identified in 2008 in the entire USA. As additional reports were made, a case control study was conducted; alfalfa sprout consumption was found to be significantly related to illness. The initial tracebacks of the sprouts indicated that although the sprouts had been distributed by various companies, the sprouts from the first cases originated from the same sprouting facility in Omaha, Nebraska. Forty-two of the illnesses beginning on March 15 were attributed to sprout growing facilities in other states; these facilities had obtained seed from the same seed producer, Caudill Seed Company of Kentucky. The implicated seeds had been sold in many states. On April 26, the FDA and CDC recommended that consumers not eat raw alfalfa sprouts, including sprout blends containing alfalfa sprouts. In May, FDA alerted sprout growers and retailers that a seed supplier, Caudill Seed Company of Kentucky, was withdrawing all alfalfa seeds with a specific three-digit prefix.  Many of the illnesses occurred at “restaurant chain (Chain A).”

  • Jimmy John’s Restaurant Alfalfa Sprouts and Iceberg Lettuce E. coli Outbreak 2008

28 Sickened – Several University of Colorado students from one sorority became ill with symptoms of bloody diarrhea and cramping. Additional illnesses were reported. E. coli O157:NM(H-) was determined to be the cause. Consumption of alfalfa sprouts at the Jimmy John’s Restaurants in Boulder County and Adams County were risk factors for illness. In addition, the environmental investigation identified Boulder Jimmy John’s food handlers who were infected with E. coli and who had worked while ill. The health department investigation found a number of critical food handling violations, including inadequate handwashing. The fourteen isolates from confirmed cases were a genetic match to one another.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and other state and local health departments, is investigating a recent cluster of Salmonella ser. Montevideo infections.  Two cases have been identified in Illinois residents.  People in Illinois reported becoming ill on December 20 and 26, 2017.  Based on a review of produce, suppliers, and items consumed, investigators believe the most likely source of the infection is sprouts from multiple Jimmy John’s locations.

To reduce the risk to additional customers, IDPH has requested that all Jimmy John’s restaurants in Illinois remove sprouts from their menus until the investigation is complete.  IDPH is also reminding restaurants not to let food handlers with diarrhea work.  If you have developed symptoms of Salmonella infection after eating food at a Jimmy John’s restaurant please contact your health care provider or local health department.

Symptoms of Salmonella may include headache, muscle aches, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, chills, fever, nausea, and dehydration.  Symptoms usually appear 6 to 72 hours after ingesting the bacteria, but can be longer.  Most illnesses resolve on their own and do not require treatment other than drinking fluids to stay hydrated.  If your symptoms persist or are severe, promptly contact your health care provider.

Salmonella bacteria live in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals.  Almost any food can be contaminated with Salmonella.  Person-to-person transmission of Salmonella occurs when an infected person’s feces, from his or her unwashed hands, contaminates food during preparation, or comes into direct contact with another person.

2014 Outbreak of E. coli O121 Linked to Raw Clover Sprouts from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts

On May 21, 2014 an outbreak of E. coli O121 linked to consumption of clover sprouts was announced by health officials in Washington and Idaho. On August 1, 2014 the CDC declared the outbreak over. In total 19 patients had been confirmed with E. coli…Read More »

2013 E. coli O157:H7 outbreak at Denver area Jimmy John’s Restaurants

Public health officials investigated an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 that occurred among customers of three Denver area Jimmy John’s restaurants. A total of 8 people became sick. Meal dates ranged between October 5 and October…Read More »

Jimmy John’s Restaurants Raw Clover Sprouts 2011

On February 15, 2012, the Centers for Disease Control first announced an ongoing investigation into illnesses linked to the consumption of raw clover sprouts consumed at Jimmy John’s Restaurants in several states. The illnesses were caused by E. co…Read More »

Sprouters Northwest/Jimmy John’s Restaurants Clover Sprouts 2010

Sprouters Northwest of Kent, Washington, issued a product recall after the company’s clover sprouts had been implicated in an outbreak of Salmonella Newport in Oregon and Washington. At least some of the cases had consumed clover sprouts while at a …Read More »

Multistate Outbreak, Tiny Greens Organic Farm, Jimmy John’s Restaurants Alfalfa Sprouts 2010

On December 17, the Illinois Department of Health announced that an investigation was underway into an outbreak of Salmonella, serotype I4,[5],12:i:-. Many of the Illinois cases had eaten alfalfa sprouts at various Jimmy John’s restaurants in the …Read More »

Jimmy John’s Restaurant Alfalfa Sprouts and Iceberg Lettuce 2008

Several University of Colorado students from one sorority became ill with symptoms of bloody diarrhea and cramping. Additional illnesses were reported. E.coli O157:NM(H-) was determined to be the cause. Consumption of alfalfa sprouts at the Jimmy …Read More »

Jimmy John’s today announced it has directed all locations chain-wide to temporarily stop serving sprouts as a precautionary measure while it investigates seven consumer complaints in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Jimmy John’s made the decision after an investigation in the last 24-hours indicated that sprouts purchased from two growers in Minnesota, originating from two common seed sub-lots, could be linked to seven food safety complaints received over a one-week period in December in Illinois and Wisconsin.

“Food safety and the welfare of our customers are our top priorities and not negotiable in our business,” said James North, President and CEO. “We have been working closely with the Departments of Health in Illinois and Wisconsin, as well as their federal counterparts, as they investigate the claims. While the results of the investigation are not conclusive and we are still gathering more information, we have voluntarily directed all franchisees to remove sprouts as a precautionary measure from all supply and distribution.”

North added, “Customers can have complete confidence that all of our ingredients are of the quality they have come to know and expect from our brand.”

Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The following products are being recalled by the firm.

  • 1 lb. bags of soybean sprouts in clear plastic bags labeled “Good Seed Soy Bean Sprouts” “Keep Refrigerated” with a UPC Code of 21111 10035, produced on or after May 1, 2017.
  • 2 lb. bags of soybean sprouts in clear plastic bags labeled “Good Seed Soy Bean Sprouts” “Keep Refrigerated” with a UPC Code of 21112 58772, produced on or after May 1, 2017.
  • 10 lb. bags of soybean sprouts in black plastic bags labeled with a sticker “Good Seed Soy Bean Sprouts” produced on or after May 1, 2017.

These items were distributed to retail stores in Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey.

The potential for contamination was noted after routine surveillance sampling by the Food Safety Program of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS). Subsequent testing by the Virginia Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in sampled product. No illnesses have been reported to date.

111003082458-raw-sprouts-large-169Sprouts present a human health risk because the conditions under which the sends are produced and where they are typically produced are also ideal for the growth of bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses.  The CDC and FDA reports that between 1996 and July 2016 there were 46 reported outbreaks associated with sprouts in the United States, accounting for 2474 illnesses, 187 hospitalizations, and three deaths.  My friends at Barfblog have an ever expanding list that covers a few more years and a great swath of the world.

This week the FDA released a draft guidance to help sprout operations meet the new standards set forth under the Produce Safety Rule designed to help keep sprouts freer of contamination and safer for consumers to eat.

In general, the Produce Safety Rule sets science-based standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of fruits and vegetables on farms (for produce for human consumption).  The Produce Safety Rule requires, in relevant part, that covered sprout operations take measures to prevent the introduction of dangerous microbes into seeds or beans used for sprouting, test spent sprout irrigation water (or, in some cases, in-process sprouts) for the presence of certain pathogens, test the growing, harvesting, packing and holding environment for the presence of the Listeria species or Listeria monocytogenes, and take corrective actions when needed.

The largest covered sprout operations must come into compliance with all applicable provisions of the Produce Safety Rule by January 26, 2017. Covered sprout operations that are small and very small businesses have compliance dates of January 26, 2018 and January 28, 2019, respectively.

Me, I will just skip them.

 

ALFALFA-SPROUTS-1LiveScience reporter, Sara G. Miller, reported on a recent FDA presentation at IDWeek on the risks of sprouts.  According to Ms. Miller, “sprout contamination continues to pose a serious public health concern,” the researchers from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wrote in their report. The findings on sprouts were presented on Oct. 28 at IDWeek 2016, a meeting in New Orleans of several organizations focused on infectious diseases.

According to FDA’s Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation Network, from 1996 to August 2016, 48 outbreaks of illness were associated with sprouts, the researchers found.  Alfalfa sprouts were the most common culprit during the study period, with 30 outbreaks. There were seven outbreaks linked to clover sprouts, six outbreaks linked to mung bean sprouts, two outbreaks linked to unspecified sprouts, two outbreaks linked to multiple sprout types and one outbreak linked to a food ingredient called sprouted chia powder. Sprouts carried a number of different types of bacteria, the researchers found. Salmonella was implicated in the greatest number of outbreaks, at 35, followed by Escherichia coli (11 outbreaks) and Listeria (two outbreaks), according to the report. Of the three sprout-related deaths during the study period, two were attributed to Salmonella and one to Listeria.

Sprouts “certainly rank up there” among types of produce that have been linked to outbreaks, said Dr. Kathleen Gensheimer, the director of the FDA’s Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation Network and the lead author of the study.

Sprouts’ propensity to harbor dangerous bacteria has to do with how they are grown, Gensheimer told Live Science. To grow sprouts, seeds are placed in water in a warm, humid environment that is ideal for rapid bacterial growth, she said.

Currently, the U.S. government says that people who are the most at-risk for infectious diseases should avoid eating raw or lightly cooked sprouts of any kind, Gensheimer said. This includes children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, she said.

big-map-8-4-16Thirty people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella have been reported from nine states – Colorado 13, Kansas 8, Minnesota 1, Missouri 1, Nebraska 2, New York 1, Oregon 1, Texas 1 and Wyoming 2.

Of those ill people, 24 were infected with Salmonella Reading, 1 was infected with Salmonella Abony, and 5 were infected with both.

Illnesses started on dates ranging from May 21, 2016 to July 20, 2016. Ill people range in age from less than 1 year to 72, with a median age of 30. Fifty-three percent of ill people are female. Five ill people have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.

Epidemiologic and traceback evidence available at this time indicate that alfalfa sprouts supplied by Sprouts Extraordinaire of Denver, Colorado are the likely source of this outbreak. Ill people in the current outbreak reported eating raw alfalfa sprouts on sandwiches from several different restaurants.

Federal, state, and local health and regulatory officials performed a traceback investigation from five restaurants where ill people reported eating alfalfa sprouts. This investigation indicated that Sprouts Extraordinaire supplied alfalfa sprouts to all five of these locations.

On August 5, 2016, Sprouts Extraordinaire recalled its alfalfa sprout products from the market due to possible Salmonella contamination. These products were sold in 5-pound boxes labeled “Living Alfalfa Sprouts.” CDC recommends that restaurants and other retailers do not sell or serve and consumers do not eat recalled alfalfa sprouts supplied by Sprouts Extraordinaire.