A multistate outbreak of salmonella and E. coli has sickened dozens of people across 15 US states, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the illnesses are linked to alfalfa sprouts.
Health officials report that 55 people have fallen ill in the outbreak so far, which involves two separate bacterial pathogens, salmonella and E. coli, tied to the same product.
The bulk of the reported illnesses have been concentrated in Wisconsin and Minnesota, where the largest clusters of cases have emerged.
The outbreak is not limited to the Upper Midwest, however. Cases have been reported across the country, stretching from Washington State in the west to Vermont in the northeast and as far south as Florida.
Investigators have traced all of the cases to sprouts from a single grower, Everything Sprouts, which has been identified as the common source of the contaminated product.
In response, the company is voluntarily recalling alfalfa sprouts that were sold in five-ounce containers, pulling the affected product in an effort to prevent further illnesses.
The recall and the CDC's linkage of the cases to alfalfa sprouts mark the latest developments as health officials continue to track the outbreak across the 15 affected states.