Salmonella from Mexican onions has infected more than 650 people in 37 states, CDC says

• At least 652 people in 37 states have caught salmonella from onions imported from Mexico.
• Throw away any onions that don’t have a sticker or packaging, CDC says.
• Affected onions were last imported on August 31, but may last three months in storage, the CDC said.

People in the US should throw away any red, white, or yellow onions that they have bought without a sticker or packaging, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said, amid a new salmonella outbreak.

At least 652 people in 37 states have caught salmonella from onions imported from Mexico, it said Thursday. The actual number of people infected could be higher because some people may not have been tested for the bacteria, the CDC said.

Texas is the worst-hit state with 159 infections, CDC data shows.

Salmonella is a bacteria that usually causes diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps lasting about a week. But some people, especially, those 65 and older, kids under 5, and those with weakened immune systems, may require medical treatment.

In the current outbreak, 129 people have needed hospital treatment and nobody has died, the CDC said.

The onions – distributed by ProSource Produce LLC and Keeler Family Farms – were sold to restaurants and grocery stores throughout the US under brands including Big Bull, Peak Fresh Produce, Sierra Madre, Markon First Crop, Markon Essentials, Rio Blue, ProSource, Rio Valley, and Sysco Imperial, the CDC said.

Investigators were trying to figure out if other onions and suppliers were linked to the outbreak, it said.

The onions, which were recalled on Thursday, were last imported from the State of Chihuahua, Mexico on August 31, the CDC said. They may last three months in storage and could be in homes and businesses across the US, the CDC said.

It urged businesses and people at home to check for potentially contaminated onions and wash any surfaces that the onions could have touched.

If you can’t tell where an onion is from, throw it away and don’t buy or eat it, the CDC said.