Salmonella outbreaks linked to seafood, raw onions

If you have traveled to Colorado recently, eaten seafood or both, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have suggested you may want to watch out for symptoms of salmonella. A second outbreak in nearby states has been linked to onions imported from Chihuahua, Mexico.

The first of the recent outbreaks has so far caused 102 cases in 14 states – including Wyoming – appears to be linked to restaurants and grocery stores in Colorado that served or sold seafood distributed by Northeast Seafood Products of Denver.

The seafood was sold in a number of grocery stores. Though distributed fresh, it may have been frozen later by consumers and businesses.

The products known to be affected include many types of fish, ranging from haddock, monkfish, trout, red snapper, cod, halibut and perch to salmon, tilapia, sole and bass.

The products have been recalled and the CDC advises throwing them away or returning them to the store if you bought them and washing any surfaces and containers that may have touched the product. If you are not able to tell whether the seafood you bought is from Northeast Seafood Products, you are advised to avoid eating it.

If your business sold or served these products, the CDC recommends following the same sanitization protocols and says to consider communicating this information to your customers.

The second of the recent outbreak has been linked to red, white and yellow onions that were imported from Chihuahua and distributed by ProSource Inc. Most of the 652 people who have been reported sick from 37 states – including South Dakota, Nebraska and Colorado – ate raw onions or dishes containing raw onions before they became sick.

The CDC advises not buying any whole onions from this source and throwing away any onions you have at home that do not have a sticker or packaging. Again, wash surfaces and containers that may have touched any onions.

Symptoms generally include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Most people recover without treatment after four to seven days, although some people may develop more severe illness, including young children, adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems.

If you develop serious symptoms of salmonella, contact your healthcare provider. These include diarrhea and a fever higher than 102 degrees; diarrhea for more than three days that is not improving; bloody diarrhea; vomiting to the extent you cannot keep liquids down; and signs of dehydration, such as dry mouth and throat and dizziness when standing up.

Though only two of the people who have been reported as getting sick due to these outbreaks live in Wyoming, the CDC says there may be many more infections than we know about because most people recover without medical care and are not tested for salmonella.