BY KAREN BOSSICK
Got onions? You may want to pitch them.
The FDA on Wednesday announced that it and the Centers for Disease Control are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Oranienburg infections linked to whole, fresh red, yellow and white onions.
The investigation has identified ProSource, Inc., or ProSource Produce, LLC., of Hailey, Idaho, as a source of the potentially contaminated onions imported from the state of Chihuahua, Mexico.
As of Wednesday, the outbreak has resulted in 652 illnesses and 129 hospitalizations in consumers across the United States. The outbreaks so far have been associated with restaurants and food service locations in 37 states, including Oregon. Idaho is not among the affected states.
Consumers are being advised to not eat, sell or serve red, yellow and white onions imported from Chihuahua from July 1 through Aug. 27. ProSource, Inc., has agreed to voluntarily recall such onions.
While the onions were shipped at latest two months ago, onions can last in storage up to three months.
Salmonella infections can lead to diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, as well as high fever, aches, headaches, lethargy, a rash and blood in the urine or stool. In some cases, they can be fatal. Symptoms usually start six hours to six days after the affected food is eaten.
COVID CONTINUES TO TAKE TOLL
While the tainted onions do not appear to have created a problem in the Wood River Valley, COVID continues to take a toll. Two more Blaine County residents have died of COVID, bringing the official count to 26. One was a female in her 60s who was hospitalized and had underlying health conditions. The other was a female in her 80s who was not hospitalized but had underlying health conditions.
Neither was vaccinated, according to Brianna Bodily, public information officer for South Central Public Health District.
Idaho had the highest death rate from COVID in the country earlier this week.