The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), along with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and health departments of several states are investigating a multistate Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak primarily affecting states in the northeastern United States.

Salmonella bacteria (red)/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Salmonella bacteria (red)/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

The CDC reports that a total of 63 people from 10 states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont) have been infected with the outbreak strain of salmonella.

It must be noted that the Montana case traveled to the Eastern United States during the period when likely exposure occurred.

Health authorities say results from this ongoing investigation indicate that bean sprouts produced by Wonton Foods, Inc. of Brooklyn, New York  are the likely source of this outbreak. As of Friday, Wonton Foods has verbally agreed to voluntarily stop the production and sale of their bean sprouts.

Of the 63 people infected in this outbreak, 26 percent required hospitalization for their illness. No deaths have been reported.

Bean Sprouts/CDC
Bean Sprouts/CDC

Interviews with ill persons show that they say reported consuming bean sprouts at Asian-style food service establishments. State and local officials have identified five clusters (a cluster of illnesses is defined as more than one unrelated ill person (i.e., they do not know or live with each other) who report eating at the same restaurant location, attending a common event, or shopping at the same location of a grocery store before becoming ill) of illnesses in three states: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Among the ill persons who are part of these illness clusters, all reported consuming menu items that contained bean sprouts.

CDC recommends that restaurants and other retailers do not sell or serve bean sprouts produced by Wonton Foods, Inc. at this time. In addition, CDC recommends that consumers do not eat bean sprouts produced by Wonton Foods, Inc. at this time.

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