Source Of MD Salmonella Outbreak Identified, CDC Says

MARYLAND — A mysterious salmonella outbreak that has sickened 48 Marylanders in recent months has been traced back to onions harvested in Mexico, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Officials said on Wednesday that epidemiologic and traceback data shows that illnesses in the outbreak that has sickened at least 652 people across the country are linked to whole red, white, and yellow onions. The vegetables were distributed by ProSource Inc. and imported from Chihuahua, Mexico, in August.

The onions were sold to restaurants and grocery stores throughout the U.S., with 37 states reporting at least one case. Texas reported the most cases, with 159.

The Anne Arundel County Food Bank said it provided the recalled onions to more than a dozen Anne Arundel County Food Pantries from July 1 through Oct. 21. Consumers should throw out any onions received from the pantries during this period.

In neighboring Virginia, 59 people have been sickened in the outbreak, while five people have been sickened in New Jersey, and seven have fallen ill in Pennsylvania.

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Investigators are still working to determine if other onions or suppliers are linked to the outbreak.

Of 417 victims with information available, 129 were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported in connection with the outbreak.

The CDC and the FDA are recommending that consumers not eat, sell, or serve fresh whole red, white, or yellow onions distributed by ProSource Inc. that were imported from Chihuahua, Mexico.

Any whole red, white, or yellow onions that do not have a sticker or packaging should be thrown away.

Surfaces and containers these onions may have touched should be cleaned using hot soapy water or a dishwasher.

The CDC says to call your doctor if you experience salmonella symptoms, including the following.

• A fever higher than 102 degrees.
• Diarrhea, including bloody diarrhea or diarrhea that has continued for more than three days.
• Vomiting.
• Signs of dehydration, such as not urinating, dry mouth and throat, feeling dizzy when standing up.

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

"Recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak," the CDC said. "The true number of sick people in an outbreak is also likely much higher than the number reported. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella."