No less than 22 people from 10 states have been stricken with salmonella from raw alfalfa sprouts, the CDC has announced.  Ten states were affected by the outbreak; these incidents, along with the tragic death of an infant, spawned a nationwide recall of the sprouts.

All of the sprouts implicated have been traced back to Caldwell Fresh Foods, which is headquartered in Maywood, California. 

Although those afflicted with the illness had all eaten sprouts from Caldwell, the packaging of the product varies from region to region.  For example, in some areas, the sprouts were sold in plastic bags and cups with the Caldwell Fresh Foods brand.  Some were presented under the brand name “Nature’s Choice”, while still others were sold in plastic containers under the California Fresh Exotics label.

Although Caldwell did not return phone calls to the Times, they admitted that the sprouts were sold to delis and retail grocery outlets nationwide. 

Salmonella Symptoms

According to the CDC, there are 40,000 confirmed cases of Salmonella in the US every year.  This, of course, does not include bouts of the illness that have not been reported or have not been recognized as Salmonella.

Food that has been contaminated by salmonella often presents itself “normally”; in other words, it smells as if nothing is amiss.

The illness can last for up to 4-5 days, and presents as a high fever, painful diarrhea and severe abdominal cramps.  Salmonella can cause severe dehydration if fluids are not replaced expeditiously.

Sources of the Illness

Contamination can occur during food processing and handling.  It can be spread by a food handler who does not wash his or her hands after using the restroom.  The bacterium can also be found in the feces of pets suffering from diarrhea; this is why it is imperative to wash hands after coming in content with the feces.

Small animals, such as turtles, baby chicks, and hamsters are particularly prone to salmonella;  hands should be washed with an antibacterial soap after touching these animals, which are often sold as pets.