Eggs recalled after multistate salmonella outbreak

Wisconsin health officials began an egg recall after an outbreak of salmonella infections among 65 people in nine states that originated on a farm in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said in a statement Friday that among those infected with salmonella are 42 people in Wisconsin, where the eggs are believed to have been sold.

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

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed in a statement on its website that 65 people in nine states were infected with a strain of salmonella, with 24 hospitalizations and no deaths as of Friday.

The states include Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Virginia, Colorado, Utah and California, the agency said.

The egg recall was undertaken by Milo’s Poultry Farms LLC of Bonduel, Wisconsin, the CDC said.

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

The department advised anyone who ate the eggs and is experiencing symptoms to contact a health care provider.

Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever and vomiting that last for several days, the statement said.

The US Department of Agriculture in July announced new measures to limit salmonella in poultry products.

The proposed directive included requiring poultry companies to keep salmonella levels below a certain threshold and test for the presence of six particularly disease-causing forms of the bacteria, three found in turkey and three in chicken.

Bacteria that exceed the proposed standard and the identification of any of the species would prevent the sale of poultry and allow the products to be recalled.

The CDC estimates that salmonella causes 1.35 million infections a year, most through food, and about 420 deaths. The Department of Agriculture estimates that there are 125,000 chicken and 43,000 turkey infections each year.