The Salmonella outbreak linked to onions sold at grocery stores nationwide now includes 1,012 and 136 hospitalizations in 47 states. Illnesses have also been reported in Canada. The onions were produced by Thomson International of Bakersfield, CA and sold at a number of stores including Food Lion, Giant Eagle, Kroger, Publix, Ralph’s, Trader Joe’s, Walmart and more. Since August 18, 2020, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last updated information on the outbreak, an additional 143 illnesses have been reported.
“This is one of the largest Salmonella outbreaks in U.S. history,” said Fred Pritzker of Pritzker Hageman which has represented clients in every major Salmonella outbreak in the U.S. including this one.
Symptoms of a Salmonella infection include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever. These symptoms usually develop within six to 72 hours after eating the contaminated food. The people sickened in this outbreak range in age from less than 1 to 102 years old. They reported the onset of symptoms on dates ranging from June 19, 2020 to August 11, 2020.
Using Whole Genome Sequencing, public health officials have identified the genetic “fingerprint” of the Salmonella Newport strain associated with this outbreak. The strain found in the onions closely resembles the one cultured from those who became ill.
Onion recalls have been issued for red, white, yellow, sweet yellow onions and products containing them. Public health officials have interviewed 154 of the people sickened and asked what they ate before they developed symptoms. Most reported eating more than one type of onion. For example, 103 people (67 percent) said they ate red onions, 96 people (62 percent) said they ate white onions, and 86 people (56 percent) said they ate yellow onions in the week before they became ill.
Many of the people interviewed were part of illness clusters meaning they shopped at the same grocery store or ate at the same restaurant in the week before they became ill. The CDC has identified 34 of these clusters in 13 states.
Forty-seven states have reported illnesses linked to this outbreak. The number of cases reported from each is: Alaska (21), Alabama (1), Arizona (35), Arkansas (2), California (122), Colorado (26), Connecticut (2), Delaware (2), Florida (8), Georgia (11), Hawaii (3), Idaho (37), Illinois (54), Indiana (3), Iowa (26), Kansas (2), Kentucky (1), Maine (6), Maryland (7), Massachusetts (2), Michigan (47), Minnesota (18), Mississippi (4), Missouri (11), Montana (63), Nebraska (10), Nebraska (10), Nevada (11), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (8), New Mexico (1), New York (10), North Carolina (6), North Dakota (9), Ohio (11), Oregon (101), Pennsylvania (22), Rhode Island (3), South Carolina (1), South Dakota (23), Tennessee (7), Texas (2), Utah (110), Virginia (10), Washington (117), West Virginia (2), Wisconsin (10), and Wyoming (23).
If you have been sickened in this outbreak and would like a free consultation with an experienced Salmonella lawyer, please contact the Pritzker Hageman Salmonella Legal Team. We have represented clients in every major Salmonella outbreak in the U.S. You can reach us 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.