Wisconsin Health Officials Issue Egg Recall Amid Multistate Salmonella Outbreak

Wisconsin health officials issued a recall of eggs following a salmonella incident that infected 65 people in nine states and began on a Wisconsin farm.

According to a statement issued Friday by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, 42 people in Wisconsin have been infected with salmonella, where the eggs are thought to have been sold.

“The eggs were distributed in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan through retail stores and food service distributors,” stated a department spokesperson. “The recall includes all egg types such as conventional cage-free, organic, and non-GMO, carton sizes, and expiration dates in containers labeled with ‘Milo’s Poultry Farms’ or ‘Tony’s Fresh Market.'”

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on its website that 65 people in nine states had been infected with a strain of salmonella, with 24 hospitalizations and no deaths as of Friday. According to the organization, the states include Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Virginia, Colorado, Utah, and California.

The CDC reported that Milo’s Poultry Farms LLC of Bonduel, Wisconsin, was responsible for the egg recall.

“Anyone who purchased the recalled eggs is advised not to eat or cook with them, and to discard them. “Restaurants should not sell or serve recalled eggs,” the Wisconsin health department advised.

The government encouraged anyone who ate the eggs and is experiencing symptoms to visit a medical professional. According to the statement, symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and vomiting that can linger for several days.

In July, the US Department of Agriculture announced additional salmonella-reduction measures for poultry products. The proposed guideline required poultry companies to keep salmonella levels below a set threshold and test for the presence of six particularly harmful strains of the bacteria, three found in turkey and three in chicken.

Bacteria exceeding the proposed standard, and the identification of any of the strains, would halt chicken sales and subject the items to recall.

The CDC estimates that salmonella causes 1.35 million infections each year, most of which occur through food, and approximately 420 deaths. Each year, the Agriculture Department predicts 125,000 infections from chickens and 43,000 from turkeys.

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