Health officials have issued a widespread food safety alert after a dual outbreak of E. coli and salmonella sickened 55 people across 15 different states. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the illnesses are linked to alfalfa sprouts produced by Everything Sprouts and sold under both the Calco and Everything Sprouts brand names in various grocery stores and retail outlets. While no deaths have been reported, four individuals required hospitalization due to their symptoms.
The geographic spread of the outbreak is significant, with the highest concentration of cases appearing in Minnesota and Wisconsin, where 21 and 17 people fell ill respectively. Other reports emerged from New York, North Dakota, North Carolina, and Florida, along with single cases in eleven additional states ranging from Washington to South Carolina. Investigators found that 46 victims were infected with E. coli, seven suffered from salmonella, and two unfortunate patients contracted both pathogens simultaneously.
Public health experts warn that these infections can cause severe stomach cramps, nausea, fever, and bloody diarrhea. The CDC is urging anyone who experiences high fevers over 102 degrees or shows signs of dehydration—such as dizziness upon standing or extreme dry mouth—to seek immediate medical attention. For now, consumers are advised to check their refrigerators for the affected sprout brands and either discard them immediately or return them to the store, taking care to sanitize any surfaces the produce may have touched.
This latest incident occurs during a particularly volatile period for food safety, arriving alongside separate outbreaks involving jalapenos, eggs, blueberries, and iceberg lettuce. Federal regulators from the FDA are currently working with state officials to trace the contamination source within the production chain of the sprouts. The window of infection began in late May and persisted through early August, highlighting the ongoing challenges of monitoring fresh produce distributed across wide regions of the country.