A salmonella outbreak has forced a massive recall of more than 200 million eggs across the East Coast of the United States this month. According to a report by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 35 people across nine states in the US have been infected by the salmonella virus, and more are predicted to succumb in the near future. The Food and Drug Administration has apparently traced the sudden outbreak back to Rose Acre Farms, situated in North Carolina.
The potentially infected eggs were apparently distributed between January 11 and April 12. The FDA reported that Rose Acre Farms had contravened several health and hygiene regulations; inspectors spotted evidence of a rodent infestation on site, as well as observing employees touching dirty equipment without washing their hands. In response, Rose Acre farms claimed that it had "not only corrected deficiencies at the farm [but] also taken steps to ensure the farm meets or exceeds the standards of the FDA and USDA."
The recall concerns eggs which have the plant number P-1065. They were sold under brand names such as Crystal Farms, Country Daybreak, Coburn Farms, Sunshine Farms, Publix, Sunups, Coburn Farms, Glenview and Great Value, as well as at Walmart and Food Lion stores across the country.
The CDC has also claimed that more people might be infected than their initial estimates accounted for, because: "Illnesses that occurred after March 23, 2018, might not yet be reported due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill with Salmonella and when the illness is reported. This takes an average of two to four weeks."
Salmonella is a common form of virulent gastric bacteria which affects the body's intestinal tract. It is typically transmitted through contaminated water or food, such as raw or undercooked meat, poultry, and eggs. The incubation period of salmonella can range anywhere from an afternoon up to 48 hours.
The symptoms of salmonella manifest themselves in a variety of ways, including nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, fever and headaches. Salmonella is not typically life-threatening, but it can prove fatal in children or elderly adults, and it is known to kill many people in developing countries who don't have access to medical services. Due to salmonella often being deeply dehydrating, treatment often focuses on replacing lost fluids and electrolytes, as well as courses of antibiotics if the immune system has been severely compromised.
