An ongoing outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections has been traced to eggs from a Wisconsin poultry farm.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating the outbreak, which has already sickened 65 people from nine states. The sick people range in age from 2 years old to 88 years old. Of the 63 patients for whom complete information was available, 24 were hospitalized.
Laboratory testing shows that the Salmonella outbreak is consistent with Salmonella found at Milo’s Poultry Farm in Bonduel, WI. The company has issued a recall for all of its eggs sold under the Milo’s and Tony’s Fresh Market brand names. The recall includes eggs packaged for consumer sale as well as eggs shipped to restaurants.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has identified four clusters of illness among customers at restaurants where eggs were served. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection traced the source of eggs delivered to restaurants where sick people ate before they became ill. Records show Milo’s Poultry Farms supplied eggs to those restaurants.
The Food and Drug Administration conducted an inspection of Milo’s poultry operations and collected samples. The FDA’s analysis found that the Salmonella outbreak was found in the chicken egg packaging facility and laying house. The FDA continues to investigate the farm.
The outbreak has been going on for a long time and the first patient to become ill reported the onset of symptoms on May 23. The most recent confirmed patient became ill on August 10. It usually takes three to four weeks for patients to be identified and confirmed before they are identified. reported to federal authorities, so more patients are expected to be added to the count.
The CDC reports that Salmonella outbreaks are usually much larger than reported because many people do not seek medical attention and others are not specifically tested for Salmonella infection. For every confirmed patient in a Salmonella outbreak, up to 22 patients remain unidentified.
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