Salmonella Outbreak Linked To Flour Sickens Californian: CDC

CALIFORNIA — A Salmonella outbreak linked to raw flour has infected 12 people in 11 states, including one person in California, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Three of the twelve patients were hospitalized.

Outside of California, the other reported infections are in Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Ohio, and Virginia. According to details of the investigation from the CDC, people started getting sick on dates ranging from Dec. 6, 2022, to Feb. 13.

The CDC is still trying to identify a specific brand of flour linked to the outbreak.

"Most people reported eating raw dough or batter made with flour before they got sick," the agency warned. "Flour was the only common ingredient in the raw dough or batter people reported eating. Investigators are working to identify a specific brand of flour linked to illnesses."

Confirmed patients range in age from 12 to 81, and most are female. Officials said the real number of sick people is likely much higher than 12 because some patients recover without medical care. More recent cases may also not be represented, because it can take up to a month to confirm a sick person is associated with an outbreak.

Unbaked flour is considered a raw food that can contain germs like Salmonella. People can get sick after eating or tasting raw dough or batter. Children are at risk of becoming sick after handling raw dough used for crafts or play clay.

However, Salmonella and other bacteria are killed when flour is cooked or baked.

Common symptoms of Salmonella include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. Symptoms can start anywhere between six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria.

Most people recover in a week without treatment. However, children younger than 5 years and adults 65 years and older — and people with compromised immune systems — may experience more severe illnesses that require hospitalization.

The CDC provides several tips to avoid a Salmonella infection from flour, including not eating raw flour, washing your hands and cooking utensils, and keeping raw flour, dough, and batter separate from foods that won’t be cooked.

Call a health care provider right away if you or your child have:

• Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102 degrees
• Diarrhea for more than three days with no improvement
• Bloody diarrhea
• Vomiting, cannot keep liquids down
• Dehydration, with these symptoms:
  • Not peeing much
  • Dry mouth and throat
  • Feeling dizzy when standing up