What should you do if exposed to salmonella? Sacramento County issues warning
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Sacramento County links 49 local salmonella cases to recalled Vega Farms eggs.
- Public Health orders residents and businesses to discard or return recalled eggs.
- Contact a provider if exposed; monitor symptoms and report vendors to CDPH.
Sacramento County issued a warning to residents Tuesday about the rise of salmonella cases in the region due the containment at a local egg farm.
Due to the recall of eggs issued by Vega Farms, Inc., Sacramento County Public Health Officer Olivia Kasirye is instructing residents and local businesses not to eat or sell the eggs. The California Department of Public Health has reported 66 cases associated with the outbreak, with 49 coming from Sacramento County.
Thousands of eggs have been recalled from Vega Farms.
“We urge residents and businesses to check for recalled eggs and follow recall guidance to protect themselves and help prevent additional illnesses,” Kasirye wrote in a news release.
What to do?
The highest count of outbreaks have been linked to the Vega Farms in Davis and Sacramento, according to a news release from Sacramento County Department of Public Health. The company is primarily based in Dixon.
Sacramento County has had 123 salmonella cases in the past four months with 39 in September, 48 in October and 36 in November, the county stated. To avoid catching salmonella, the county advised residents and local businesses to do the following:
- Do not consume or serve recalled eggs. Throw them out immediately or return them to where they were originally purchased.
- Wash and sanitize items and surfaces that came into contact with the recalled eggs. The county recommends using “hot soapy water or a dishwasher,” according to a news release.
- If anyone sees these eggs still being sold, the county advised residents to contact the CDPH Complaint Hotline which can be reached at (800) 495-3232. Residents can also file an electronic report at https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DFDCS/Pages/FDBPrograms/FoodSafetyProgram/ConsumerComplaint.aspx. These eggs are in 1-dozen cartoons with 30 eggs. The eggs sent to food service agencies are in a 15-dozen case with 6 flats and 30 eggs per package, according to CDPH.
CDPH stated that the salmonella outbreak, which has also occurred statewide, has caused 13 hospitalizations. The department added that Vega Farm eggs have been solid to grocery stories, co-ops, restaurants and farmers markets across Northern California.
Vega Farms has voluntarily recalled its eggs, according to a CDPH news release.
Signs of salmonella poisoning
Sacramento County stated residents should be wary of the symptoms of salmonella poisoning. If recalled eggs are consumed, a health care provider should be contacted, the county said. Infection begins from as early as six hours to six days after being exposed. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, with this sickness lasting from four to seven days, according to the county’s news release.
The county warned that children who are younger than 5, adults older than 65 and those with weakened immune systems are prone to getting “very sick.” Most recover without treatment.
“But for some people, the symptoms may be so severe that treatment or hospitalization is needed,” the county news release stated.
