FDA, CDC say outbreak linked to fish ends with more than 100 people sickened - Food Safety News

Federal officials have declared that a Salmonella Thompson outbreak is over after having sickened at least 115 people in 15 states. 

Seafood from Northeast Seafood Products Inc. of Denver was named as the cause of the outbreak based on investigations by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"FDA's traceback investigation identified Northeast Seafood Products Inc. as a common distributor among illness subclusters," according to the FDA outbreak update. "As part of this outbreak investigation, environmental samples were collected from Northeast Seafood Products Inc. On Oct. 7, 2021, environmental samples collected from Northeast Seafood Products, Inc. were reported positive for Salmonella Thompson and were determined to be a match to the outbreak strain through whole genome sequencing."

Most of the sick people were either Colorado residents, 93 people, or reported traveling to Colorado in the week before they got sick, 14 people. Illnesses started on dates ranging from May 11, 2021, to Oct. 16, 2021. Sick people ranged in age from less than 1 to 85 years, with a median age of 39, and 53 percent were female. Of 111 people with information available, 20 were hospitalized and no deaths were reported, according to the CDC.

"The true number of sick people in an outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella," the CDC reported.

On Oct. 8, Northeast Seafood Products Inc. recalled Haddock, Monkfish, Bone-in Trout, Grouper, Red Snapper, Red Rock Cod, Ocean Perch, Pacific Cod, Halibut, Coho Salmon, Atlantic Salmon Portions, Lane Snapper, Tilapia, All Natural Salmon Fillet, Pacific Sole, and Farm Raised Striped Bass. These products were sold to unnamed restaurants and Albertsons, Safeway, and Sprouts supermarkets in Colorado. 

The Pacific Cod sold through Sprouts was not recalled. A full list of recalled products is available on FDA's website.

Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should not eat, sell, or serve any of the recalled seafood. Recalled seafood was sold fresh and would be past shelf-life unless it was frozen after purchase. The FDA recommends that anyone who might have purchased or received recalled product, check their freezers and throw away recalled product.

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