A salmonella outbreak tied to a recalled egg supply has spread to 17 states, federal health officials confirmed Monday, despite the eggs in question having been distributed to only a fraction of that geography.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking the case count, which has reached into dozens of confirmed illnesses. The specific egg brand and lot numbers are included in an active recall notice.
Salmonella enterica — the pathogen at issue — produces symptoms including diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and fever typically within 12 to 72 hours of ingestion. Hospitalization rates rise sharply among adults over 65 and children under 5.
The distribution-to-infection ratio is the detail investigators have not yet explained publicly. The eggs were sold, according to available records, in a limited regional footprint. The case map does not reflect that footprint.
Officials are asking consumers to check cartons currently in their refrigerators against the recalled lot numbers before cracking anything for breakfast.
The recall covers the eggs. It does not cover whatever moved them 17 states away from where they were supposed to go.