Illinois Salmonella Outbreak: FDA Blames Onions From Mexico

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday said it believes onions are the source of an outbreak of Salmonella Oranienburg infections across the county. So far, 652 cases of the disease have been reported in the U.S., including 37 in Illinois, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Frank Yiannas, the FDA's deputy commissioner of food policy and response, said the FDA's traceback investigation — conducted with the CDC and state and local partners — identified ProSource Inc. of Hailey, Idaho, as a source of potentially contaminated whole, fresh onions imported from the state of Chihuahua, Mexico.

"To date, this outbreak has resulted in 652 illnesses in consumers across the U.S. Illness subclusters investigated in this outbreak thus far are associated with restaurants and food service locations," Yiannas said. "That's why as our investigation continues, we're advising restaurants, retailers and consumers to not eat, sell, or serve red, yellow and white onions supplied by ProSource Inc. that were imported from the State of Chihuahua, Mexico from July 1 through August 27, or products containing these onions. "

Yiannas said ProSource Inc. has agreed to voluntarily recall the onions.

"We are issuing this update early in our investigation as part of our continued commitment to transparency and early communication," Yiannas said. "We will provide updates as we learn more during our continuing traceback investigation, especially if there are any updates to this critical public health advice."

The FDA reported that the 652 cases of Salmonella have resulted in 129 hospitalizations, but no deaths. Cases have been recorded in 37 states.

In Illinois, as of late September, 23 residents had been sickened in the outbreak. The number reached 34 last week, and now sits at 37.

According to the FDA, consumers who have symptoms of Salmonella infection should contact their healthcare provider. Most people with salmonellosis develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. More severe cases of may include: a high fever, aches, headaches, lethargy, a rash, blood in the urine or stool and in some cases may become fatal.

Consumers, the FDA said, should ask if the onions they are being served or sold were supplied by ProSource Inc. and imported from the State of Chihuahua, Mexico. If the source of the onions cannot be determined, they should not be sold, served or eaten, the agency said.

The FDA said it is continuing its traceback investigation to determine if additional products or suppliers have been affected.