--- title: "Ramona Salmonella Outbreak: Frequently Asked Questions" date: 2026-09-04T22:28:00-07:00 author: Bill Marler canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/ramona-salmonella-outbreak-frequently-asked-questions" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / [Case News](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news) / # Ramona Salmonella Outbreak: Frequently Asked Questions **Ramona Salmonella Outbreak: Frequently Asked Questions** *Happy Hens eggs and Ramona Family Naturals Market, San Diego County. Last updated September 4, 2026.* **What is the Ramona Salmonella outbreak?** It is an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections in San Diego County that began with illnesses in late June 2026. San Diego County [first announced it on July 28](https://www.countynewscenter.com/salmonella-outbreak-linked-to-ramona-deli/), linking the illnesses to raw-egg mayonnaise made and sold at Ramona Family Naturals Market in Ramona. On [August 17](https://www.countynewscenter.com/ramona-salmonella-outbreak-grows/) the County identified the source of those eggs as Happy Hens, a Ramona egg farm, and said the outbreak extended beyond the one store. **How many people are sick, and where are the cases?** As of September 4, 2026, the County reports 23 confirmed and probable cases and seven hospitalizations, up from 13 cases and four hospitalizations in July. Cases have been identified in La Mesa, Del Mar, Ramona and Jamul, and one in Riverside County. The confirmed count is always a fraction of the real one, because most people with food poisoning never see a doctor and never get tested. **What foods have been linked to the outbreak?** The County has named the market’s house-made mayonnaise, which was made with raw shell eggs and went into its chicken salads and its Ramona Red Sauce. The sauce was used on sandwiches and also sold by the bottle. The County has also said that some people in this outbreak became ill without any connection to the market — meaning the eggs themselves, not only the deli, are part of the picture. **What did FDA find at the Happy Hens farm?** According to the County’s [September 4 release](https://www.countynewscenter.com/salmonella-dna-found-on-farm-tied-to-ramona-outbreak/), FDA collected samples inside the farm’s hen houses beginning August 17, taking them from the floor and from the perch rails and nest boxes where droppings collect. Salmonella was found in two of the seven houses tested. Testing of eggs distributed by the farm is still pending. **What does it mean that the Salmonella “matched” the outbreak strain?** Public health laboratories sequence the whole genome of the bacteria from each sick person and from each sample. When two isolates are close enough genetically, they almost certainly came from the same source. The County reports that genetic testing linked the Salmonella found at the farm to the strains from ill San Diegans. In plain terms: the bacteria in the barns and the bacteria in the patients are the same bacteria. **Has Happy Hens recalled its eggs?** No. The County reports that the California Department of Public Health gave the farm the FDA results and recommended a voluntary recall, and that as of September 4 no recall had been issued. There is also no published list of the grocery stores, farmers markets or restaurants that received the eggs. **Can the government order a recall if the company will not issue one?** Yes. Under the Food Safety Modernization Act, if FDA determines there is a reasonable probability that a food is adulterated and will cause serious adverse health consequences, it must first give the company a chance to recall voluntarily. If the company declines, FDA may order it to stop distribution and notify everyone holding the product, hold an informal hearing, and issue a recall order. [21 U.S.C. § 350l](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/21/350l). **Is this the same as the national egg recall earlier this summer?** No. That was a separate, multistate outbreak tied to Midwest Poultry Services, which recalled more than 1.5 million dozen eggs. CDC [declared that outbreak over on September 3, 2026](https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/outbreaks/shell-eggs-07-26/index.html) with 134 people sick. The County has said from the start that the Ramona strain is not related to it. **I have Happy Hens eggs in my refrigerator. What should I do?** Because no recall has been issued, there is no official instruction to throw them out and no lot code or sell-by date to check against. Until that changes, the safe course is to treat them as you would eggs under investigation: do not eat them raw or undercooked, cook them until both the yolk and the white are firm, throw out any cracked or dirty eggs rather than washing them, and wash your hands and any surfaces they touched. If you would rather not take the risk at all, discard them. **Where were Happy Hens eggs sold?** No agency has published a customer list, which is one of the central problems with this outbreak. The farm’s own materials describe sales through its farm store in Ramona, a farmers market, and wholesale accounts with grocery stores and restaurants across Southern California. If you cannot confirm where a carton came from, handle it the same way described above. **Can Salmonella be inside an egg that looks perfectly clean?** Yes, and this is the fact that surprises people most. Salmonella Enteritidis can infect a hen’s ovary and get inside the egg before the shell ever forms. The egg can look, smell and taste completely normal. Washing the shell does nothing, and an organic, pasture-raised or premium label is a description of how the hen was raised, not a treatment that kills bacteria. **How do I cook eggs safely, and what about mayonnaise, aioli and Caesar dressing?** Cook eggs until both the yolk and the white are firm, and cook dishes containing eggs to 160°F. Refrigerate eggs at 45°F or below. Homemade mayonnaise, aioli, Caesar dressing, hollandaise, eggnog, raw cookie dough and protein shakes made with raw egg all get no cooking step at all, which is exactly why raw shell eggs do not belong in them. Commercially made mayonnaise sold in jars is made with pasteurized egg and is not part of this outbreak. **What are the symptoms, and how soon do they start?** Diarrhea, which can be bloody, along with fever and stomach cramps, and sometimes nausea, vomiting or headache. CDC reports that symptoms usually begin [six hours to six days after infection and last four to seven days](https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/general/salmonella-symptoms.html). Some people are sick considerably longer, and some are hospitalized with dehydration or with the infection in their bloodstream. **When should I see a doctor, and who is most at risk?** CDC advises calling a doctor for diarrhea with a fever over 102°F, diarrhea lasting more than three days without improving, bloody stools, vomiting that keeps you from holding liquids down, or signs of dehydration. Infants, adults over 65, pregnant women, and anyone with a weakened immune system — including people undergoing cancer treatment — face the highest risk of severe illness and should be seen early. **Why does getting a stool test matter so much?** An isolate from your stool is what allows the public health laboratory to sequence the bacteria and connect your illness to everyone else’s. Without it you are a private misery; with it you are part of a documented outbreak. It is also, in practical terms, the single most important piece of evidence in any legal claim. **How do I report an illness?** Contact the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality at (858) 505-6814. Reporting matters even if you have already recovered, because case counts are what move agencies to act. **Was the market allowed to use raw shell eggs in its mayonnaise?** [California Health and Safety Code section 114012](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC§ionNum=114012) requires a food facility to substitute pasteurized eggs for raw shell eggs in foods that are not thoroughly cooked, and it names mayonnaise as an example. The only lawful alternative is a written variance from the local enforcement agency, which in San Diego County is the Department of Environmental Health and Quality. Separately, farms above 3,000 laying hens are covered by [California’s egg safety rule](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/3-CCR-1350) and the [federal shell egg rule](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/118.6), which require a Salmonella prevention plan, environmental testing of each house, and egg testing and diversion when a house tests positive. **Have lawsuits been filed, and how long do I have to bring a claim?** Yes. Marler Clark filed the first case in this outbreak on August 18, 2026, in San Diego County Superior Court, and on September 8 will file a First Amended Complaint adding the genetic evidence announced September 4 along with two additional lawsuits for other hospitalized residents. In California, most personal injury claims must be brought within two years of the injury under [Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CCP§ionNum=335.1), though deadlines differ in some situations and are paused for children. Anyone weighing a claim should talk to a lawyer well before that date rather than near it. **Where can I get more information?** San Diego County posts its updates at countynewscenter.com. Marler Clark is tracking this outbreak day by day at [Marler Blog](https://www.marlerblog.com/). Anyone who became ill in this outbreak can reach the firm at 1-800-884-9840 or through [marlerclark.com](https://www.marlerclark.com/). 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