Salmonella-tainted Sprouts

In the United States salmonella poisoning in salad sprouts has sickened 21 people, say health authorities.

The illnesses arose between April 12 and June 7 and so far have spanned five states. Three people have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement.

About Salmonellosis
Poor hygienic practices during cooking or handling of food products can cause this distressing infection of the intestines leading to diarrhea, cramps and fever.

"A total of 21 persons with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis have been reported from five states: Idaho (three), Montana (seven), North Dakota (one), New Jersey (one) and Washington (nine)," the CDC said.

The salmonella is believed to originate in alfalfa sprouts and spicy sprouts.

An outbreak of killer E. coli blamed on organic vegetable sprouts grown in northern Germany, has killed 48 people and sickened 3,900, German health authorities have said.

Germany Confirms Sprouts As E.coli Source
Germany blamed vegetable sprouts for a bacteria outbreak that has killed at least 33, left some 3,000 ill and cost farmers across Europe hundreds of millions of euros in lost sales.

All the fatalities were in Germany, except for a woman in Sweden who died after being infected in Germany.

One death in the US state of Arizona by a person who had traveled to Germany is under investigation, but has not been confirmed as linked to the German outbreak, the CDC said last week.

Preliminary Results Show E. Coli Tests on Sprouts Negative
Officials from the state of Lower Saxony have said that initial tests conducted on sprouts from a north German farm probed as a possible source for a killer bacterial outbreak have proved negative.

Source-AFP

Salmonella Infections Increase in US
In recent years US cases of food-borne illness caused by salmonella have risen 10 percent.