As of October 6, 2020, a total of 1,127 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Newport have been reported from 48 states.
People infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Newport by state of residence, as of October 6, 2020 (n=1,127)
Illnesses started on dates ranging from June 19, 2020, to September 11, 2020. Ill people range in age from less than 1 to 102 years, with a median age of 41. Fifty-eight percent of ill people were female. Of 705 ill people with information available, 167 hospitalizations were reported. No deaths were reported.
People infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Newport by date of illness onset*
As of September 14, 2020, there have been 515 confirmed cases of Salmonella Newport illness linked to this outbreak in Canada. The following provinces have reported cases: British Columbia (121), Alberta (293), Saskatchewan (35), Manitoba (26), Ontario (14), Quebec (25) and Prince Edward Island (1).
Individuals became sick between mid-June and early August 2020. Seventy-nine individuals were hospitalized. Individuals who became ill were between 1 and 100 years of age. The majority of cases (54%) were female.
Whole-genome sequencing analysis shows that an outbreak of Salmonella Newport infections in Canada was related genetically to this outbreak in the United States. This means that people in both of these outbreaks were likely to share a common source of infection. Their investigation identified red onions from Thomson International Inc. as the likely source of their outbreak.
In the United States, thirty-four illness clusters were identified in 13 states. Information was collected on 23 of the 34 clusters at restaurants and grocery stores. The traceback information collected from several of these illness clusters identified Thomson International, Inc., of Bakersfield, California, as a likely source of red onions. Due to the way onions are grown and harvested, other onion types, such as white, yellow, or sweet yellow, are also likely to be contaminated.
On August 1, 2020, Thomson International, Inc., voluntarily recalled red, yellow, white, and sweet yellow onions because they may be contaminated with Salmonella. Several other companies also recalled the tainted onions. See the full list of the recalled products on the CDC site.
On August 5, 2020, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) issued a public health alert for products made with recalled onions. Check the alert for product details.
On August 6, 2020, Taylor Farms issued a recall of foods that were made from recalled onions.
As of October 8, 2020, this outbreak appears to be over. The FDA is continuing its investigation to find the root cause of the outbreak. Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should not eat, serve, or sell recalled onions from Thomson International, Inc., of Bakersfield, California, or other foods made with recalled onions.
Symptoms of a Salmonella infection, called salmonellosis, typically start 6 to 72 hours after exposure to Salmonella bacteria from an infected animal, person or contaminated product. Symptoms include:
- chills
- fever
- diarrhea
- abdominal cramps
- headache
- nausea
- vomiting
These symptoms usually last for 4 to 7 days. In healthy people, salmonellosis often clears up without treatment, but sometimes antibiotics may be required. In some cases, a severe illness may occur, and hospitalization may be required.
Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of Salmonella outbreaks. The Salmonella lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Salmonella and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $750 million for clients. Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation. Our Salmonella lawyers have litigated Salmonella cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of foods, such as cantaloupe, tomatoes, ground turkey, salami, sprouts, cereal, peanut butter, and food served in restaurants. The law firm has brought Salmonella lawsuits against such companies as Cargill, ConAgra, Peanut Corporation of America, Sheetz, Taco Bell, Subway, and Wal-Mart.
If you or a family member became ill with a Salmonella infection, including Reactive Arthritis or Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark Salmonella attorneys for a free case evaluation.