IDPH Warns of Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Packaged Salad

By Jeremy Coumbes on July 16, 2021 at 9:53am

State health officials are warning of a salmonella outbreak linked to salad produced in Illinois.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is working with local health departments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium linked to BrightFarms brand Sunny Crunch salad produced in Rochelle, IL.

According to the CDC, eight people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium have been reported from two states. Illnesses started on dates ranging from June 10, 2021 to June 15, 2021. In Illinois, five cases matching the outbreak strain have been reported in Cook, DuPage, and McHenry counties.

According to this morning’s announcement by IDPH, Illinois cases have reported purchasing BrightFarms brand Sunny Crunch salad produced in Rochelle, IL in the north-eastern part of the state. However, IDPH is still working with federal officials to determine where the BrightFarms brand Sunny Crunch salad produced in Rochelle, IL was distributed in Illinois so people could potentially be exposed across the state.

IDOH officials say symptoms of illness caused by Salmonella may include headache, muscle aches, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, chills, fever, nausea, and dehydration.  If you experience these symptoms 12 to 72 hours after eating BrightFarms brand Sunny Crunch salad produced in Rochelle, IL, contact a health care provider and let them know you have recently eaten Sunny Crunch salad.

Anyone that has purchased BrightFarms brand Sunny Crunch salad produced in Rochelle, IL should not eat it and should throw it away, even if some of it was eaten and no one has gotten sick. Surfaces and containers that may have touched the contaminated products should be washed using hot and soapy water.

For more information and updates, go to https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/typhimurium-07-21/index.html.