Salmonella Outbreak In Alfalfa Sprouts
Yet another outbreak of salmonella contamination has erupted and this time the infected vegetable are alfalfa sprouts. Already nine people in the state of Washington have been ill from them and four others in Oregon. Two of those people were admitted to the hospital.
Researchers have tied the outbreak to the sprouts from Sprouters Northwest Inc. - which ship to restaurants, delicatessens, and Kent Grocers. Because of this it is important that these places check their stocks right away and pull them out before anyone else can get infected. Sprouters Northwest is already working on recalling the sprouts and are urging people who have bought sprouts from them to throw them away or return it to them.
It is the latest in a string of alfalfa sprout contamination from salmonella in the past decade. In 2004, a Kent farmer recalled sprouts sold to institutions in Washington and Oregon after they were linked to 12 cases of salmonellosis. In 2003, Oregon officials linked a salmonella outbreak that affected nine people in Oregon and Washington to an Auburn farm.
The symptoms to look for if you have salmonella is fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. You can usually spot the symptoms within 3-5 days of eating food that has been contaminated. It is possible for someone to recover - but they should be taken immediately to the hospital for proper treatment.