Thomson International Onions, in yellow, red, white, and sweet varieties, are linked to the large multistate Salmonella Newport outbreak, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At least 396 people in 34 states are now ill in this outbreak. Fifty-nine people have been hospitalized because they are so ill.
The case count by state is: Alaska (6), Arizona (14), California (49), Colorado (10), Florida (3), Idaho (5), Illinois (10), Indiana (2), Iowa (15), Kansas (1), Kentucky (1), Maine (4), Maryland (1), Michigan (23), Minnesota (10), Missouri (6), Montana (33), Nebraska (5), Nevada (5), New York (4), North Carolina (3), North Dakota (5), Ohio (7), Oregon (71), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (1), South Dakota (11), Tennessee (5), Texas (1), Utah (61), Virginia (4), Washington (2), Wisconsin (5), and Wyoming (11). That is an increase of 184 more ill persons since the last update on July 24, 2020, including 37 from 11 new states: Alaska, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas.
Illness onset dates range from June 19, 2020 to July 12, 2020. The patient age range is from less than 1 to 102 years. Of 236 patients who gave information to investigators, 59 have been hospitalized, for a hospitalization rate of 25%.
There is a Salmonella Newport outbreak in Canada that is genetically related to this outbreak. But in Canada, investigators have pointed to Sysco red onions as the source of the contamination, and have issued a recall.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with food poisoning, you can contact attorney Fred Pritzker for help by calling 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
Noted food safety attorney Fred Pritzker, who has represented many clients sickened with Salmonella infections in lawsuits, said, “When produce is eaten without a kill step, it is critical that growers, processors, and producers are confident those products are not contaminated with pathogens. Now hundreds of people are sick in two countries just because they bought red onions or ordered food made with that product in restaurants.”
In the U.S. outbreak, many ill people are in lines clusters, which are two more more people who don’t live in the same household who ate at the same restaurant, attended a common event, or shopped at the same grocery store before they got sick. Twenty-two illness clusters have been identified in seen states. Many of the people in those clusters ate red onions.
The traceback information collected from those clusters identified Thomson International of Bakersfield, California as a likely source of red onions. Because of the way onions are grown and harvested, other Thomson International onions such as white, yellow, or sweet may also be contaminated. Investigators are trying to determine if other onions are linked to this outbreak.
Check to see if you have any onions from Thomson International. Check the package or look for a sticker on the onion. If you don’t know where the onions came from, throw them away. Wash and sanitize any surfaces that may have been in contact with the onions or their packaging. And if you eat out, ask if any onions in the food you are ordering came from Thomson International. If they did, or if the server doesn’t know, do not order that food. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling these onions and after cleaning.
Symptoms of a Salmonella infection include a fever, nausea, stomach cramps, abdominal cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea that may be bloody. People usually recover without medical treatment, but some do become so sick they require hospitalization. And recovered patients can experience long term health complications, such as reactive arthritis, endocarditis, or high blood pressure. If you have been sick with these symptoms, see your doctor. You may be part of this Thomson International onions Salmonella Newport outbreak.
If you or a loved one have been sickened with a Salmonella Newport infection after eating Thomson International onions, please contact our experienced lawyers for help at 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
This also needs to include Onions 52 products. I saw on CDC that Thompson’s had been recalled so kept using my onions. Then got an email this morning from Wal-Mart that the onions I had purchased had been recalled. This was Onions 52 brand. So I threw them out immediately but not without having already consumed 2…plus fed them to my 4 year old. I pray my family will be ok.
Thanks for letting us know. I hope you’ll all be okay too.