Is there an outbreak of Salmonella infection linked to alfalfa sprouts?
Yes. People in several states have become sick from Salmonella Saintpaul, a bacterium that causes diarrhea, vomiting and, in some especially vulnerable people, more serious illnesses. Interviews with people who have become ill, conducted by state and local health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), show that many of them had eaten raw alfalfa sprouts or products that contained raw alfalfa sprouts before becoming sick. Clinical tests of those who became sick reveal that they were all infected by Salmonella Saintpaul bacteria that share a common genetic fingerprint. This suggests that the bacteria were likely to have come from the same food source.
