Texas leads the nation in reports of people sickened by salmonella
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning consumers that onions from the state of Chihuahua in northern Mexico should be discarded. The announcement comes as a salmonella outbreak that was first reported in mid-September by the agency has grown to sicken more than 600 people in 37 states as of Oct. 21.
Texas leads the nation with 158 salmonella cases, nearly a quarter of all active cases nationwide. Neighboring Oklahoma had 98 cases.
“The true number of sick people in an outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses,” the CDC said. “This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella.”
Here’s what we know about the outbreak and how you can track current outbreaks:
CDC on onions: Don’t use if you’re unsure of their source
The CDC says red, white and yellow onions that were imported from Chihuahua and distributed to grocery stores and restaurants by ProSource Inc. of Hailey, Idaho, should be tossed out.
Officials also are advising consumers not to buy onions that lack information about their sourcing, such as a sticker or packaging.
“If you can’t tell where the onions are from, don’t buy or eat them,” the CDC said.
ProSource has said it will recall onions imported between July 1 and Aug. 27.
According to the CDC, imported onions can last up to three months in storage.
Can you cook salmonella out of onions? In short, it’s risky.
Eating onion raw is the most likely way to contract salmonella, but the director of food and safety and research at Consumer Reports says cooking them carries the potential for transmission.
“There’s always the concern of cross-contamination from your hands, cooking surfaces, or any surfaces the onions touched,” Dr. James Rogers said.
Rogers also said that if you think you cooked with a contaminated onion, wash surfaces the onion contacted with hot, soapy water.
What are the symptoms of salmonella?
The CDC says people infected with salmonella can develop diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps after being exposed.
The illness can last as long as a week. Most people recover without treatment, but some people might need to be hospitalized, particularly those with weaker immune systems, such as young children or adults age 65 and older.
More than 30 percent of people tracked in the outbreak have been hospitalized. No deaths due to salmonella have been reported.