The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a cautionary alert regarding salmonella infection following reports of 12 cases across seven states associated with contaminated basil sold at Trader Joe's.
"The CDC has received reports of 12 Salmonella infections in seven states. One person has been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported," the news release stated.
After receiving the reports, Trader Joe's initiated a recall of the 2.5-oz packages of Infinite Herbs-brand organic basil that had been sold at their stores in D.C., as well as 29 states spanning the Midwest and eastern United States from Feb. 1 to April 6.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Infinite Herbs, LLC is cooperating with them in the investigation and has agreed to initiate a voluntary recall.
Although the affected products are no longer available for sale at Trader Joe's and have likely past shelf-life, the FDA said those customers who already purchased them from Trader Joe's stores and stored them in their refrigerators or freezers should not eat them.
To reduce the risk of cross-contamination, the FDA recommends taking caution while cleaning the surfaces and containers that may have come in contact with the product.
"Contact your healthcare provider if you think you may have symptoms of a Salmonella infection after eating the 2.5-oz packages of Infinite Herbs-brand organic basil from Trader Joe's stores," the CDC warned.
"The investigation is ongoing to determine the source of contamination and whether additional products are linked to illnesses," the agency said.
Know the signs of infection:
Patients may develop symptoms of diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps within 6 hours to 6 days after the bacteria enters the body. In most cases, people recover without treatment within a week.
However, older adults, young children, and people with weakened immune systems may develop severe illnesses that require hospitalization.
Complications of salmonella infection include severe dehydration, sepsis, osteomyelitis, and reactive arthritis. While fatalities are rare, in severe cases, salmonella infection can lead to death. In the United States, out of millions of salmonella infections annually, approximately 420 individuals succumb to the illness.
