Wisconsin health officials have launched a recall of eggs following an outbreak of salmonella infections among 65 people in nine states that originated on a Wisconsin farm.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said in a statement Friday that among those infected with salmonella are 42 people in Wisconsin, where the eggs are believed to have been sold.
“The eggs were distributed in Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan through retail stores and food service distributors,” the department said. “The recall includes all types of eggs, including conventional cage-free, organic and non-GMO, all carton sizes and all sell-by dates in packages labeled with ‘Milo’s Poultry Farms’ or ‘Tony’s Fresh Market.’”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed in a statement on its website that 65 people in nine states have been infected by a strain of salmonella, with 24 hospitalizations and no deaths as of Friday. The states include Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Virginia, Colorado, Utah and California, the agency said.
Milo’s Poultry Farms LLC of Bonduel, Wisconsin, recalled the eggs, according to the CDC.
“Those who have purchased the recalled eggs are advised not to eat or cook with them and to throw them away. Restaurants should not sell or serve the recalled eggs,” the Wisconsin health department said.
The department advises anyone who has consumed the eggs and is experiencing symptoms to contact a health care professional. Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever and vomiting for several days, according to the statement.
The Agriculture Department announced new measures in July to limit salmonella in poultry products. The proposed directive included requiring poultry companies to keep salmonella levels below a certain threshold and test for the presence of six particularly severe forms of the bacteria, three of which are found in turkey and three in chicken.
The presence of bacteria exceeding the proposed standard and the identification of any of the strains would prevent the sale of poultry and leave the products subject to recall.
The CDC estimates that salmonella causes 1.35 million infections a year, mostly foodborne, and about 420 deaths. The Department of Agriculture estimates that 125,000 infections occur from chicken and 43,000 from turkey each year.
