Yes, you can get Salmonella from onions. In fact, onions are frequently contaminated with Salmonella. Since 2009, the have been 11 Salmonella outbreaks linked to onions, two of them have occurred during the last 15 months. In most onion Salmonella outbreaks, a significant number of illnesses are linked to restaurant food.
Symptoms of a Salmonella infection usually develop within six to 72 hours of exposure. They include abdominal cramps, nausea, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea that is sometimes bloody.
2021 Onion Salmonella Outbreak
An ongoing onion Salmonella outbreak has sickened more than 800 people, according to the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At least 20 illness clusters have been linked to restaurant and foodservice items containing raw onions imported from Chihuahua, Mexico, and distributed in the U.S. by ProSource Inc. of Hailey, Idaho, and Keeler Family Farms in Deming, NM. At least 157 people have been hospitalized. Several onion recalls have been issued.
The outbreak strain of Salmonella Oranienburg has sickened patients ranging in age from less than 1 year old to 97 years old. These patients said their illnesses first began on dates ranging from May 31, 2021, to October 13, 2021.
The 808 illnesses in this outbreak have been reported from 37 states and Puerto Rico. The number of illnesses reported from each state is: Alabama (3), Arkansas (15), California (12), Colorado (1), Connecticut (5), Florida (39), Georgia (2), Illinois (47), Indiana (1), Iowa (3), Kansas (16), Kentucky (9), Louisiana (7), Maryland (60), Massachusetts (13), Michigan (10), Minnesota (25), Mississippi (2), Missouri (41), Nebraska (9), New Jersey (5), New Mexico (10), New York (19), North Carolina (14), North Dakota (4), Ohio (8), Oklahoma (107), Oregon (2), Pennsylvania (8), Puerto Rico (3), South Carolina (4), South Dakota (8), Tennessee (12), Texas (185), Utah (3), Virginia (66), West Virginia (1), and Wisconsin (27).
2020 Onion Salmonella Outbreak
In 2020, an onion Salmonella outbreak sickened 1,127 people hospitalizing 167, according to the CDC. The onions were produced by Thompson International of Bakersfield, CA, and sold under a variety of brand names. Illnesses were reported from 48 states and 515 illnesses were reported in a separate outbreak in Canada.
The outbreak strain of Salmonella Newport sickened patients who ranged in age from 1 to 102 years old. They reported the onset of symptoms on dates ranging from June 19, 2020, to September 11, 2020.
Salmonella Lawyers
If you developed a Salmonella infection from contaminated onions and would like a free consultation with an experienced Salmonella lawyer, please contact the Pritzker Hageman Salmonella Legal Team. Our Salmonella lawyers have represented clients in every major outbreak n the U.S. You can reach our team by calling 1-888-377-8900, sending a text to 612-261-0856, or by completing the form below. There is no obligation and we don’t get paid unless we win.