The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) along with health officials in multiple states and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Muenchen.

Image of alfalfa sprouts/CDC
Image of alfalfa sprouts/CDC

A total of 13 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Muenchen have been reported from four states. The number of ill people identified in each state is as follows: Kansas (5), Missouri (3), Oklahoma (3), and Pennsylvania (2).

Five people required hospitalization for their illness.

Collaborative investigative efforts of state, local, and federal public health and regulatory officials indicate that alfalfa sprouts produced by Sweetwater Farms of Inman, Kansas are a likely source of this outbreak.

Laboratory testing isolated Salmonella from samples of irrigation water and alfalfa sprouts collected during a recent inspection at Sweetwater Farms. Further testing is ongoing to determine the type and DNA fingerprint of Salmonella isolated in these samples.

Health authorities recommend that consumers do not eat and restaurants and other retailers do not sell or serve alfalfa sprouts produced by Sweetwater Farms at this time.

This investigation is ongoing.

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