Dozens of people across nine states have been sickened by a salmonella outbreak linked to recalled eggs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Saturday.
Out of the 65 people who have gotten ill, 24 have been hospitalized, officials said. No deaths have been reported.
The recalled eggs included all expiration dates and types — such as cage-free, organic, etc. — from Milo’s Poultry Farms or Tony’s Fresh Market. Officials said they were distributed by Milo’s Poultry Farms LLC of Bonduel, Wisconsin to retail stores.
The states where people have been sickened include Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Virginia, Colorado, Utah and California, the agency said. Most cases have been reported in Wisconsin, where the majority of the eggs were sold.
According to the CDC, officials with the Food and Drug Administration inspected Milo’s Poultry Farms and collected samples. The outbreak strain was found in the packing facility and the hen egg-laying house, the CDC said.
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Salmonella can get onto eggshells when birds lay the eggs after touching feces. It can also get inside the eggs while they're forming inside the chicken before the shell is made.
Symptoms of salmonella include diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever and vomiting lasting for several days. Anyone who ate the eggs and experiences these symptoms should contact their health care provider, the CDC said.
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But this outbreak may be difficult to treat with commonly recommended antibiotics after lab tests showed the bacteria is resistant to nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin, the CDC said. Katheryn Parraga-Estrada, food safety specialist at Virginia Tech, said scientists are now working on treating the mutating bacteria, including with vaccines to limit its spread.
"That is something that science is trying to work with, and as you know with other pathogens, not just food pathogens, they keep mutating ... so they can get more resistant to those things," said Parraga-Estrada.
For now, the CDC is telling consumers to check their fridges, throw away any recalled eggs and disinfect any surfaces or items the infected eggs may have touched.
