The Salmonella outbreak linked to recalled Gravel Ridge Farms eggs has grown to include 38 people sick in 7 states, according to the CDC. Ten people have been hospitalized. That’s an increase of 24 more ill persons added to the outbreak total since the last update on September 10, 2018.
The case count by state is: Alabama (7), Colorado (1), Iowa (1), Kentucky (4), Ohio (4), Montana (1), and Tennessee (23). Illness onset dates range from June 17, 2018 to August 16, 2018. The patient age range is from one year to 94. Thirty-one percent of these people have been hospitalized, which is high for a Salmonella outbreak. The typical hospitalization rate is about 20%.
Of the 29 people interviewed in this outbreak, 76% reported eating restaurant dishes made with eggs. The FDA and their state partners have traced the source of the shell eggs supplied to these restaurants. They found that 19 of the 22 restaurants where ill persons ate, Gravel Ridge Farms in Cullman, Alabama was the supplier.
And the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis was found in environmental samples that investigators collected from Gravel Ridge Farms. Officials in Alabama took eggs from the Gravel Ridge Farms facility, and the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis was found in those eggs.
Whole genome sequencing (WGS) results show that the Salmonella in the environmental samples is closely related to the Salmonella samples from ill persons. That means that it is likely that those sickened share a common outbreak source: Gravel Ridge Farms eggs.
You can contact attorney Fred Pritzker at 1-888-377-8900 for help.
Food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker wants to know the names of the restaurants where these people ate eggs. “No one should become seriously ill and be hospitalized just because they ordered an egg dish from a restaurant,” he said.
The outbreak notice states that people should be careful when cooking with raw eggs. The eggs should be cooked until the yolk and white are firm. Never cook eggs “easy,” and cook scrambled eggs until they are firm. Dishes that include eggs should be cooked to 160°F or higher to kill pathogenic bacteria. And if you make recipes that use raw or lightly cooked eggs, such as hollandaise sauce, use pasteurized eggs.
The symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning include fever, muscle aches, abdominal and stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that may be bloody. People usually start feeling ill 6 to 72 hours after exposure to this pathogenic bacteria. If you have eaten egg dishes at restaurants and have been ill, see your doctor.
