652 People Sickened With Salmonella Traced Back To Whole Onions Imported From Chihuahua, Mexico
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A multistate outbreak of salmonella has been linked to whole onions from Chihuahua, Mexico.
The CDC says they have identified whole onions as a source of salmonella infections that have sickened 652 people in 37 states, including nine from California. No deaths have been reported, but 129 people have been hospitalized.
One source of the infections in this outbreak have been traced back to whole red, white, and yellow onions imported from Chihuahua, Mexico and distributed in the U.S. by ProSource Inc. ProSource was determined to have supplied whole onions to many of the restaurants where people who got sick ate at. One of those people still had a condiment cup of cilantro and lime that tested positive for this strain of salmonella, according to the CDC, even though no onions were left in it when it was tested.
The CDC says 75% of the people who have become sick with this strain of salmonella reported eating raw onions or dishes likely to contain raw onions before getting sick.
Investigators are still working to determine if the outbreak is linked to other onions or suppliers.
The onions from ProSource linked to this outbreak were last imported on Aug. 27, but can last up to three months in storage. The CDC says consumers and businesses should check to see if they still have any of these onions, and if they do, throw them away and sanitize any surfaces they have come in contact with.
