Nearly 100 people across 14 states fall ill in salmonella outbreak linked to eggs

A salmonella outbreak linked to recalled eggs has sickened at least 95 people across more than a dozen US states, federal health officials confirmed Thursday.

Eighteen individuals have required hospitalization due to the illness.

Country Eggs LLC, based in Lucerne Valley, California, has issued a recall for its large, brown cage-free “sunshine yolks” or “omega-3 golden yolks” eggs, with production now suspended.

The affected eggs were sold under the brand names Nagatoshi Produce, Mishuo, and Nijiya Markets.

Consumers can identify them by the code CA 7695 and sell-by dates ranging from July 1 to September 16.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that illnesses began between January 7 and July 25, affecting people in at least 14 states.

The CDC cautioned that the actual number of those affected could be significantly higher, with the possibility that the contaminated eggs were distributed to even more states.

An investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration based on where ill people reported buying or consuming eggs identified Country Eggs LLC as a common supplier, officials said.

The eggs were sold to grocery stores and food service distributors. Consumers should check their refrigerators for recalled eggs and throw them away or return them to stores for a refund.

Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include diarrhea, fever, severe vomiting, dehydration and stomach cramps. Most people who get sick recover within a week.

Infections can be severe in young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems, who may require hospitalization.

In June, 1.7 million eggs from August Egg Company of Hilmar were recalled across the US due to potential salmonella contamination.

A statement from August Egg Company read: “It is important to know that when our processing plant identified this concern, we immediately began diverting all eggs from the plant to an egg-breaking facility, which pasteurizes the eggs and kills any pathogens.

“August Egg Company’s internal food safety team is also conducting its own stringent review to identify what measures can be established to prevent this situation from recurring.”