Salmonella outbreak tied to eggs makes dozens sick across 7 states in the West and Midwest

A salmonella outbreak linked to a large egg recall has made dozens of people sick in seven states in the West and Midwest, federal health officials said Saturday.

The August Egg Company recalled about 1.7 million brown organic and brown cage-free egg varieties distributed to grocery stores between February and May because of the potential for salmonella, according to an announcement posted Friday on the Food and Drug Administration’s website.

At least 79 people in seven states have gotten a strain of salmonella that was linked to the eggs, and 21 people have been hospitalized, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The recall covers Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Washington and Wyoming. Plant code numbers for the recalled eggs are P-6562 or CA5330, according to the CDC’s website.

This Centers for Disease Control and Prevention map shows the locations of people affected by a Salmonella outbreak linked to eggs.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

“August Egg Company’s internal food safety team also is conducting its own stringent review to identify what measures can be established to prevent this situation from recurring,” according to comments posted from the company on the FDA’s website. “We are committed to addressing this matter fully and to implementing all necessary corrective actions to ensure this does not happen again.”

Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include diarrhea, fever, severe vomiting, dehydration and stomach cramps. Most people who get sick recover within a week.

Infections can be severe in young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems, who may require hospitalization.

The CDC advises people to throw away recalled eggs or return them to the store where they were purchased. Consumers should also wash and disinfect any surfaces that came in contact with the eggs.

This is the latest in a string of salmonella-related outbreaks recently involving food.

A tomato recall affecting three southern states was upgraded to a Class I recall, the most severe warning by the Food and Drug Administration. The recall was first announced in May over potential salmonella contamination.

Also, nearly four dozen people across 18 states are sick with salmonella food poisoning tied to recalled cucumbers, according to federal health officials. In an update, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the expanding outbreak led to at least 16 people being hospitalized.