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Sprouts in Southeast Michigan Causing Salmonella

By PritzkerLaw

Michigan health officials are seeing a growing number of Salmonella cases that investigators believe are associated with contaminated alfalfa sprouts used in sandwiches.

According to multiple media reports, the Michigan Department of Community Health is still looking for the origin of the sprouts. In the meantime, they are recommending that residents of the state avoid eating sprouts until more is known about where they are coming from.

Officials have said at least 16 cases have been confirmed in southeastern Michigan, with most illnesses occurring between March 23 and April 6.  At least two of the 16 received hospital care.

Already this year, alfalfa sprouts have spawned more than one outbreak of Salmonella. For years the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has cautioned young children, senior citizens and people with weakened immune systems not to eat  alfalfa sprouts for fear of contracting food poisoning.

Healthy adults don't usually require medical treatment during a Salmonella illness, but those in risk groups can potentially come down with serious illness and die from infections. For instance, national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen attorneys currently represent the families of three women who died in the nationwide peanut butter Salmonella outbreak that started last September and has sickened more than 700 people.

Previous outbreaks have been linked to manure in fields and poor hygiene in producing the food, which starts as a seed or bean. Infection with Salmonella typically causes diarrhea, fever and cramps, lasting from four to seven days.

To contact a Salmonella lawyer at Pritzker Olsen, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or complete one of our  free online case consultation forms.

Full post as published by Food Poisoning Law Blog on April 24, 2009 (boomark / email).