Salmonella Outbreak That's Sickened 4 In CT Linked To Onions: CDC

CONNECTICUT — Turns out it was the onions.

A mysterious Salmonella outbreak that has affected four Connecticut residents starting in May of this year, has been traced to onions harvested in Mexico, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The handful of Connecticut residents were among 652 people across 37 states who were sickened by the disease, the CDC announced.

Investigators have linked the outbreak to whole red, white, and yellow onions distributed by ProSource Inc. that were imported from Chihuahua, Mexico. Officials have not yet determined if other onions or suppliers are the root cause.

Of 417 victims with information available, 129 were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported in connection with the outbreak, the source of which has eluded researchers until now.

Prosource sold the onions to restaurants and grocery stores throughout the United States. The last import was Aug. 27, but these imported onions can last up to three months in storage and may still be in homes and businesses.

The CDC is advising businesses and homeowners to check storage coolers for these onions. If you can't tell where they are from, throw them away. Cooks should also wash and sanitize any surfaces that may have come in contact with these onions.

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Health officials found a strain of salmonella in a takeout condiment cup containing cilantro and lime in late September. The cup also contained onions, the CDC said, but none were left by the time it was tested. The agency said they couldn't find which food item was contaminated since there were multiple items in one container.

Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these severe Salmonella symptoms:

• Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°
• 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 infrequent urination, dry mouth and throat, dizziness when standing up

Most people infected with salmonella experience diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps within six hours to six days of eating contaminated food.

For more information about Salmonella, see the CDC's FAQ page here.