U.S. health agencies are tracking a food‑poisoning outbreak tied to alfalfa sprouts that has affected residents in 15 states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed 55 cases nationwide, four of which required hospitalization.

Scope of the Outbreak

State health departments in Minnesota and Wisconsin first reported more than three dozen illnesses earlier this week. Subsequent investigations identified additional cases in Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota and Washington.

What Patients Are Experiencing

Among the 34 sick individuals interviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 26 said they had eaten alfalfa sprouts. The outbreak is unusual because it involves two different types of bacteria: salmonella and several strains of Shiga toxin‑producing E. coli (STEC). Salmonella infection can cause diarrhea, fever, severe vomiting, dehydration and stomach cramps. STEC infections may lead to stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea and, in severe cases, acute kidney failure.

Source of the Contamination

Officials have linked the illnesses to alfalfa sprouts grown by Everything Sprouts, a Minnesota‑based producer. The sprouts were sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands to restaurants and grocery stores nationwide. The company has not issued a recall, and the FDA is continuing its investigation.

Previous FDA Findings

Last year, the FDA sent a warning letter to Everything Sprouts after an inspection uncovered several concerns, including a leaking roof that allowed water to drip onto bean sprouts and the use of workers’ smocks that could spread contamination.

Public Health Response

The CDC and FDA are urging consumers who purchased alfalfa sprouts from the implicated brands to discard them or return them to the point of sale. People who experience symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, fever or abdominal pain after consuming these sprouts should seek medical attention promptly.

What Comes Next

Both agencies will continue to monitor the situation, collect additional case data and work with state health officials to determine whether a formal recall becomes necessary. The FDA has reached out to Everything Sprouts for comment but has not yet received a response.

Consumers are reminded that proper food handling—washing hands, cleaning surfaces and cooking foods to safe temperatures—remains a key defense against food‑borne illness.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.