On Aug. 13, Iowa-based Wright County Egg voluntarily recalled eggs potentially contaminated with salmonella bacteria, expanding the recall Wednesday. Salmonella can be life-threatening to people with weak immune systems, including AIDS patients. The eggs, some laid as far back as May 17, were distributed nationwide. The vast majority have already been consumed.
In healthy people, salmonella causes fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. In people with weak immune systems, including people with AIDS, salmonella enteritidis can cause severe illness, with infection possibly spreading from the intestines to the blood stream and other body sites, potentially causing death unless the person is treated promptly. An infection also can be serious for the elderly and young children.
Eggs were packed under the following brand names: Albertsons, Farm Fresh, James Farms, Glenview, Mountain Dairy, Ralphs, Boomsma, Lund, Kemps, and Pacific Coast with Julian dates ranging from 136 to 229 and plant numbers 1720 and 1942. The Aug. 13 recall covers Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph's, Boomsma's, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms, and Kemps with Julian dates from 136 to 225 and plant numbers 1026, 1413, and 1946.
For May through July, CDC recorded 1,953 salmonella enteritidis cases submitted by state health departments, compared with an average 700 cases during the same period for the last five years, said Christopher R. Braden, head of CDC's division of food-borne diseases.
Wright County Egg has stopped sales of fresh eggs for now. Federal, state, and local health investigations are ongoing. For more information about identifying recalled eggs, visit http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm223139.htm.
08/20/10
UNITED STATES: Salmonella Traced to Iowa
Source: Washington Post:: David Brown; Courtesy of the CDC National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention