The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its list of confirmed victims in the outbreak of sprouts that has been traced back to mung bean sprouts distributed by Wonton Foods of New York. According to the CDC, as of Monday there were 111 confirmed cases in this wide-spread outbreak affecting consumers in at least 12 states, including Connecticut (8), Maine (4), Maryland (5), Massachusetts (35), Montana (1), New Hampshire (6), New York (21), Ohio (3), Pennsylvania (17), Rhode Island (7), Vermont (3) and Virginia (1). Maryland is the latest state to identify victims.
This Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak has also been especially toxic, leading to the hospitalization of over a quarter of all the known victims. Fortunately, there have been no fatalities linked to consumption of the sprouts at this time.
What We Know So Far:
1. By Mid-November, federal and state health investigators were noticing a high number of Salmonella Enteritidis cases, and using trace-back investigation techniques, determined the source to be mung bean sprouts produced and distributed by Wonton Foods Inc. of New York;
2. On November 21st Wonton Foods told federal health officials it would dispose of all stocks of the sprouts and close their production facility for aggressive cleaning and sanitization;
3. On November 24, Wonton Foods resumed production and thereafter (on November 29th) resumed shipping product;
4. The CDC has now confirmed 111 people have been sickened with the outbreak strain Salmonella Enteritidis linked to Wonton Food’s sprouts;
5. Two of every three victims recalled eating bean sprouts as part of their meals in eh week preceding the onset of symptoms;
6. The CDC’s National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) laboratory has determined that the Salmonella Enteritidis strains collected from three of the victims is susceptible to traditional antibiotics; and
7. The CDC, FDA and state and local health departments are still conducting the investigation.
What Victims Can Do:
Food Safety Lawyer Ron Simon encourages all victims to seek medical attention to safeguard their health and to receive the proper testing, which usually includes a stool test. If you or a loved one tests positive for salmonella after consuming sprouts from a local restaurant (most of which served Asian cuisine) in one of the affected states, you may have important legal rights. Feel free to call one of the lawyers at Ron Simon & Associates at 1-888-335-4901.
