More than 100 people from 37 states have been hospitalized with salmonella due to contaminated onions, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Wednesday.
No deaths have been reported yet, but at least 652 people have become ill and 129 have been hospitalized so far, the CDC said. The tainted onions were imported from Mexico and distributed by ProSource, Inc.
OUTBREAK UPDATE: Fresh whole onions causing large Salmonella outbreak in 37 states. Throw away any unlabeled onions at home. Do not eat, sell, or serve red, white, or yellow onions imported from Mexico and distributed U.S.-wide by ProSource Inc. https://t.co/SH3Iy7JeEG pic.twitter.com/ukttkDi5pp
— CDC (@CDCgov) October 20, 2021
“People should not eat, and businesses should not sell or serve, whole onions that were imported from Chihuahua, Mexico, and distributed by ProSource Inc,” the CDC advised Wednesday. “Throw away any whole red, white, or yellow onions you have at home that do not have a sticker or packaging. Wash surfaces and containers that may have touched the onions using hot soapy water or a dishwasher.” (RELATED: Grocery Store Provides Color-Coded Bracelets To Signal To Others If They Want To Interact)
The number of people infected with salmonella is likely higher than the 652 known cases, and the outbreak may have spready beyond the 37 identified states, the agency said. Around 420 people die in the United States each year of salmonella out of more than 1.3 million cases.