Food Safety Alert: CDC warns of Salmonella infections linked to raw alfalfa sprouts

A CDC food safety alert regarding a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium infections has been posted at https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/typhimurium-12-22/index.html.

Key points:

• Fifteen people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella have been reported from Oklahoma, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Two people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
• Interviews with 12 sick people and traceback data show that raw alfalfa sprouts from SunSprout Enterprises of Fremont, Nebraska, may be making people sick.
• All 12 people interviewed so far report eating alfalfa sprouts, either purchased from a grocery store or eaten at a restaurant.
• On December 29, SunSprout Enterprises recalled four lots of raw alfalfa sprouts sold to food service and grocery stores between late November and mid-December 2022.
• Recalled sprouts were packaged in 4-ounce plastic clamshell containers and labeled with lot numbers 4211, 5211, 3212, or 4212. Best-by dates are between 12/10/22 and 1/7/23.
• The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella.

What You Should Do:

• Do not eat, sell, or serve recalled alfalfa sprouts. Throw them away or return them to where you bought them.
• Wash surfaces and containers that may have touched the recalled alfalfa sprouts using hot soapy water or a dishwasher.

• Contact a healthcare provider if you have any of these severe Salmonella symptoms:
  • Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
  • Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving
  • Bloody diarrhea
  • So much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down
  • Signs of dehydration, such as:
    • Not urinating much
    • Dry mouth and throat
    • Feeling dizzy when standing up

About Salmonella:

• Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 6 hours to 6 days after being exposed to the bacteria.
• The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment.
• In some people, the illness may be so severe that the patient is hospitalized. Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other parts of the body.
• Children younger than 5, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe illness.

If you have questions about cases in a particular state, please call that state’s health department.