A new Salmonella Thompson outbreak has been linked to fish produced by Northeast Seafood Products. The outbreak has sickened at least 102 people in 14 states. Is seafood commonly contaminated with this pathogen? Let’s look at seafood Salmonella outbreaks in the past few years.
Salmonella does not occur naturally in fish or shellfish, as it does in poultry. For this food to be contaminated with the pathogen, it must come from an outside source, either in water or production and processing facilities. We don’t know what happened in the current outbreak yet.
In 2012, a Salmonella Bareilly outbreak associated with tuna imported from India sickened at least 425 people. Fifty-five people were hospitalized.
In 2015, a Salmonella Paratyphi outbreak sickened six people in New Mexico. Five out of the six patients reported eating sushi before they got sick. Also in 2015, a Salmonella outbreak in California sickened at least 25 people. Most of those sickened ate raw tuna in sushi before they got sick.
In 2019, a Salmonella Newport outbreak linked to Jensen Farms tuna sickened at least 15 people in eight states. The tuna was imported from Vietnam. The tuna was used to make sushi sold in grocery stores and restaurants.
Earlier this year, a Salmonella Weltevreden outbreak linked to precooked shrimp sickened at least nine people in four states. Three people were hospitalized.
As you can see form this seafood Salmonella outbreak history, most Salmonella outbreaks in the past have been linked to or associated with raw tuna. Northeast Seafood products that are recalled do not include tuna, but the CDC says that some of these products were eaten raw in sushi.
Anyone who is at high risk for serious complications from a Salmonella infection should avoid eating raw or undercooked fish and shellfish. Those groups include the very young, the elderly, pregnant women, and anyone with a compromised immune system or chronic illness.
Meanwhile, if you have been suffering from the symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning, especially if you have eaten any raw or cooked fish from Northeast Seafood Products, see your doctor. You may be part of that Salmonella Thompson outbreak.
If you or a loved one have been sickened with a Salmonella Thompson infection after eating recalled Northeast Seafood fish, please contact our experienced attorneys for help at 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
