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Sprout Outbreak Sickens 15 States
22 Aug
Summary
- Over three dozen cases initially reported in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
- Outbreak involves both Salmonella and E. coli infections.
- Cases linked to alfalfa sprouts from Everything Sprouts grower.
Federal health officials confirmed on Friday that a multi-state food poisoning outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts has spread across 15 states, affecting 55 individuals and resulting in four hospitalizations. State authorities had previously reported over three dozen cases primarily in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Additional cases have since been identified in Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington. Investigators have traced the outbreak to alfalfa sprouts from Minnesota grower Everything Sprouts, which were sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts labels.
The illnesses are attributed to two different types of germs: Salmonella, causing diarrhea, fever, and vomiting, and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), which can lead to severe kidney failure. The FDA has indicated that the grower has not issued a recall, despite prior safety concerns documented in warning letters to Everything Sprouts last year.
