Salmonella Outbreak Linked To Flour Sickens 2 Illinoisans: CDC

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

In addition to Illinois, the reported infections are in California, Iowa, 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.

Illinois was the only state in the country to have more than one case. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, there are normally between 1,500 to 2,000 cases of the foodborne illness reported each year.

General Mills has recalled certain five-pound bags of Gold Medal frozen flour due to the outbreak after bags of the flour were sold in Southern Illinois and Missouri.

The CDC is still trying to identify a specific brand of flour linked to the outbreak. A majority of those who became sick reported eating raw dough or batter, the CDC said.

"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."

The real number of sick people is likely much higher than 12 because some patients recover without medical care.

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

Salmonellosis is seldom fatal, state health officials said and the fatality rate from the illness is typically less than 1 percent. People are far more likely to contract salmonellosis at home than in a restaurant, so be sure to wash hands with soap and water after toileting and before handling foods.