CDC issues urgent health warning over salmonella outbreak linked to COOKIE DOUGH sold at take-out pizza chain – with 18 infections already in six states
At least 18 people in half a dozen states have been sick with salmonella after eating raw cookie dough.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announcement Tuesday that Papa Murphy’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough or S’mores Bar Dough were the culprit in the majority of cases.
Investigators are urging people who have either type of dough in their freezers to throw it out while they hope to zero in on the specific tainted ingredient that caused the outbreak.
Salmonellosis is the result of infection with one of 2,000 strains of salmonella bacteria and primarily affects the intestinal tract and sometimes the blood, causing diarrhea, fever, chills, abdominal discomfort and vomiting.
There have been no deaths, although the CDC has said the current tally of infections is likely an undercount
Papa Murphy’s is a national chain where people can buy pre-made raw cookie dough to bake at home
Papa Murphy’s has more than 1,100 stores across the United States. States in which people are falling ill included Washington (six cases), Oregon (four cases), California (one case), Utah (two cases), Idaho (four cases) and Missouri (one case).
A company spokesperson said“After learning of this investigation, Papa Murphy’s took immediate action, including voluntarily issuing an order to stop the sale” of both types of cookie dough.
“We did this proactively out of caution and concern for the safety of our customers. We continue to work with health authorities, as well as affected ingredient suppliers, to support the investigation,” the company added.
There have been no deaths, although the CDC has said the current tally of infections is likely an undercount.
Symptoms usually begin between six hours and six days after infection and usually resolve over four to seven more days without requiring specific medical intervention.
Some people have no symptoms. However, illnesses can sometimes be more serious and even lead to hospitalization.
People with other serious illnesses, weakened immune systems, children under 12 months old, and the elderly are especially vulnerable to serious side effects and even death.
Salmonella infects more than 1.3 million people each year, resulting in 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths per year.
Foods that may be contaminated with salmonella are almost always of animal origin, such as eggs. Salmonella can also hide in any uncooked or uncooked flour used to make batter or batter.
Bacteria are transmitted from the feces of people or animals to other people or animals.
Information about who was infected is sparse now, but according to the Idaho Department of Health and Wellness, all of the cases were women with an average age of 48. One had been hospitalized but has since been released.
In Washington, the six cases ranged in age from 15 to 54. In Oregon, the four cases ranged in age from 20 to 57 and they started experiencing symptoms last month.
