The Salmonella outbreak linked to contaminated chia powder now includes two strains and has sickened 17 people in the US and another five in Canada, according to the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Two people have been hospitalized.
The strain of Salmonella Hartford, which has been added since the initial announcement of the outbreak a few days ago, has never before been seen in the U.S. Five of the 17 total cases are Salmonella Hartford, the other 12 are Salmonella Newport. The breakdown by state is as follows: Arizona (1), California (2), Connecticut (2), Ohio (1), Florida (1), Massachusetts (1), Michigan (1), New York (4), Utah (1), and Wisconsin (3).
During interviews, case patients reported onset of salmonellosis symptoms, which include fever, cramping and diarrhea, from January 21, 2014 to May 5, 2014. They range in age from 4 to 81 years old. The median age is 51. About 65 percent of the cases are female.
Navitas Naturals issued a recall for the products that contain organic sprouted chia powder On May 28. The recalled products include Navitas Naturals Organic Sprouted Chia Powder, Navitas Naturals Omega Blend Sprouted Smoothie Mix, and Williams-Sonoma Omega 3 Smoothie Mixer with specific “best by” dates. Click here for details. On May 30, Advantage Health Matters and Back 2 the Garden also recalled products that contain sprouted chia seed powder.
Consumers who have purchased any of these products should not eat them. Anyone who has eaten some of the recalled product as develops symptoms of a Salmonella infection should see a doctor.
