Red Onions Linked to Salmonella Outbreak, Sickening Over 500 People

Update 8/21: As of Aug. 18, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the number of reported cases of salmonella has grown to 869 cases, with 116 hospitalizations in 47 states.

Red onions have been linked to the Salmonella outbreak that has sickened nearly 400 people in the U.S. and another 114 people in Canada, according to health officials.

The outbreak has occurred in 34 states, but Oregon, Utah, and California have reported the most cases.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified Thomson International, a produce supplier in Bakersfield, California, as the likely source of contaminated red onions.

Health officials recommend that consumers throw away any onions or foods made with onions supplied by Thomson, and the company will recall red, white, yellow, and sweet onions.

The Salmonella outbreak was first reported in mid-June and continued through July, putting at least 16 Canadians and 59 Americans in the hospital.

Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps and, for more severe cases, a high fever, aches, headaches, lethargy, or a rash. Salmonella can be spread between hands and contaminated surfaces and when people eat raw or undercooked food.

There is another Salmonella outbreak happening right now in the U.S. Since January 2020, there have been 938 cases in 48 states, 151 hospitalizations, and one death from a poultry-associated multi-strain Salmonella. It has been linked to backyard flocks of chickens, ducks, and other feathered creatures raised near homes.

Read more on the FDA’s website to learn more about Salmonella and about the current Cyclospora outbreak from bagged salad mixes.

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