At least 79 people got sick in 9 states in a salmonella outbreak linked to recalled Hy-Vee Spring Pasta Salad, said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Aug. 1.
The recalled salad was sold at Hy-Vee grocery stores in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Hy-Vee issued the recall on July 17.
Hy-Vee’s Spring Pasta Salad includes shell pasta, carrots, celery, cucumbers, green pepper, onion, and mayonnaise, according to the agency.
They were sold in 1-pound 3-pound plastic containers or may have been scooped at the deli counter into clear plastic containers.
The expiration dates for the recalled pasta salad are June 22, 2018 to Aug. 3, 2018.
The CDC urges consumers not to eat the salad.
“Even if some of it was eaten and no one got sick, do not eat it,” the agency stated. “If you stored recalled pasta salad in another container, throw the pasta salad away. Thoroughly wash the container with warm, soapy water before using it again, to remove harmful germs that could contaminate other food.”
Salmonella Symptoms
The symptoms of a salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever, as well as abdominal cramps. These symptoms typically develop between 8 and 72 hours after contracting it, according to the Mayo Clinic.
“In some cases, the diarrhea associated with salmonella infection can be so dehydrating as to require prompt medical attention. Life-threatening complications also may develop if the infection spreads beyond your intestines. Your risk of acquiring salmonella infection is higher if you travel to countries with poor sanitation,” it says.
It adds: “Salmonella infection usually isn’t life-threatening. However, in certain people—especially infants and young children, older adults, transplant recipients, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems—the development of complications can be dangerous.”
The CDC estimates that salmonella causes about 1.2 million cases of illness, 23,000 hospitalizations, and 450 deaths in the United States every year.
