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We are not even three full months into 2018, but it already has been a busy stretch for the foodborne pathogen Salmonella. The bacteria have been responsible for numerous outbreaks and product recalls.
Let’s take a look back at the first 12 weeks of the year for the foodborne pathogen Salmonella:
Foodborne pathogen Salmonella:
Coconut in the news
This week, potentially contaminated dried coconut was linked to an outbreak in which 13 people have been sickened in eight states. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the outbreak includes illnesses that began last Sept. 22; the most recent was reported Feb. 26.
More specifically, the outbreak has been linked to two products:
- Natural Grocers Coconut Smiles Organic
- International Harvest Organic Go Smile! Dried Coconut Raw.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that the Natural Grocers grocery chain recalled its 10-ounce Coconut Smiles Organic after six illnesses were reported by people who ate the snack. International Harvest had initiated a recall of its Organic Go Smile! Dried Coconut Raw two days previously.
Officials from numerous health agencies, including the CDC and FDA, collected leftover dried coconut from the homes of people who became sick, as well as from retail stores and distribution centers. Testing identified the outbreak strain of Salmonella typhimurium in unopened samples of Coconut Smiles Organic, as well as in samples of Organic Go Smile! Dried Coconut Raw.
Consumers who purchased either product are urged to throw it out or return it to the place of purchase for credit or refund.
Contaminated coconut also was responsible for a Salmonella outbreak in January in which 27 people became ill in nine states, and six were hospitalized. That outbreak was attributed to Coconut Tree Brand frozen Shredded Coconut; the CDC declared the outbreak over in mid-February.
Foodborne pathogen Salmonella:
Sprouts, frozen steaks also recalled
Coconut is not the only item being recalled. Other products recently recalled for potential Salmonella contamination are:
Alfalfa sprouts
The FDA announced that River Valley Sprouts of Houston, MN, voluntarily recalled:
- 5-ounce Alfalfa Sprouts
- 4-ounce Alfalfa Sprouts
- 5-ounce Garlic/Alfalfa
- 5-ounce Variety sprouts.
The recalled products, packaged in a plastic cup or clam container, were packed and shipped from March 6 to March 15. They were distributed to grocery stores in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Some packages have sell-by dates on the label ranging from March 15 to March 25.
Frozen steaks
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that raw beef products manufactured by Stampede Meat Inc., of Bridgeview, IL, incorporated au jus seasoning that tested positive for the foodborne pathogen Salmonella. Almost 500,000 pounds of frozen steaks were recalled; those products are:
- cases containing 64 6-ounce vacuum-packed packages of “USDA SELECT OR HIGHER BONELESS BEEF TOP SIRLOIN STEAKS,” (item #5404) with lot codes ranging from 05018 to 07318 (inclusive) and “Best By” dates from Feb. 19, 2019, to Mar. 14, 2019 (inclusive).
- cases containing 64 8-ounce vacuum-packed packages of “USDA SELECT OR HIGHER BONELESS BEEF TOP SIRLOIN STEAKS,” (item #5419) with lot codes ranging from 05018 to 07318 (inclusive) and “Best By” dates from Feb. 19, 2019, to Mar. 14, 2019 (inclusive).
The recalled products bear establishment number “EST. 19113” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The items were shipped to distributors, who then distributed the products to restaurant locations nationwide.
- 20-pound (approximate) boxes containing “USDA Select or Higher Beef 6 oz Top Sirloin Steak Mechanically Tenderized” with case code 45966.
- 30-pound (approximate) boxes containing “USDA Select or Higher Beef 8 oz Top Sirloin Steak Mechanically Tenderized” with case code 45968.
The recalled products bear establishment number “EST. 33861” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The items were shipped to restaurant locations nationwide.
Foodborne pathogen Salmonella:
Facts and figures
Salmonella bacteria produce salmonellosis, of which as many as 1 million cases are reported in the U.S. annually, the CDC says. Salmonellosis can develop from 12 hours to three days after eating contaminated food. Symptoms, which can last as long as a week, include:
- diarrhea
- vomiting and abdominal pain
- fever and chills.
Most people recover without treatment. Diarrhea can become so severe, however, that hospitalization is required. The CDC estimates that of those 1 million annual cases, 19,000 victims require hospitalization. In addition, approximately 380 people will die.
People most at risk for complications are children under the age of 5, women who are pregnant, elderly people, and those with compromised immune systems.
Pregnant women must be especially vigilant. They are at a higher risk for contracting salmonellosis because their immune systems are suppressed due to hormonal changes. A pregnant woman who contracts salmonellosis can suffer a miscarriage, go into labor prematurely, or experience stillbirth.
Other complications
Complications occur when the Salmonella enter the bloodstream. If that happens, the following can result:
- meningitis, which is an inflammation of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord.
- endocarditis, an infection of the heart’s inner lining, usually involving the valves.
- osteomyelitis, which is bone inflammation that usually hits the legs, arms, and/or spine.
- reactive arthritis – or Reiter’s syndrome – is a form of inflammatory arthritis that develops in response to a Salmonella infection in another part of the body.