Alfalfa Sprouts Linked to Salmonella in PA

April 2009

The Food and Drug Administration had advised consumers to avoid eating raw alfalfa sprouts because they have been linked to a Salmonella outbreak in six states. There have been 31 cases of illnesses caused by the saintpaul strain of Salmonella in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Utah.

The sprouts were sold nationwide, and the outbreak appears to be an extension of one that sickened 100 people in February and March of this year. Officials believe that infected seeds are the source of the outbreak.

Raw alfalfa sprouts have been linked to several food poisoning outbreaks in the past two decades. Salmonella can lead to diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps and usually lasts four to seven days. It is especially dangerous to the elderly, infants, and people with weakened immune systems.