Seven King County residents have confirmed salmonella infections in a multistate outbreak tied to contaminated broccoli sprouts and sprouting seeds. Two were hospitalized.
The county-level figures come from the Washington State Department of Health's outbreak page, as reported by Food Poison Journal on Thursday, Oct. 8. Washington leads the nation with 24 of the 32 total confirmed cases across six states.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) counts three hospitalizations and no deaths nationwide. Montana reported four cases. Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Minnesota each reported one. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) listed the investigation as ongoing as of Friday, Oct. 9.
The outbreak strain is Salmonella Bovismorbificans. Washington state officials collected Evergreen Fresh Sprouts-brand broccoli sprouts from a grocery store and a sick person's home. Both samples matched the outbreak strain through whole genome sequencing, the FDA said.
On Oct. 7, the FDA confirmed a seed sample from the identified supplier also matched. The supplier recalled seed lot W4105 and notified customers.
Four products recalled
The FDA has flagged four recalled products:
- Gardeners Basics Waltham 29 Broccoli Sprouting Seeds — 1-lb white and green resealable pouch, UPC 848137042889, marked "Packed for 2027." Sold through Amazon, gardenersbasics.com, TikTok Shop, Walmart, eBay and Etsy.
- Eden Brothers calabrese broccoli seeds — packets and 1-oz and 1-lb sizes, lots 1022067 and 1022068. Sold through EdenBrothers.com and Amazon between July 8 and Sept. 28.
- Home Grown green sprouting calabrese broccoli seeds — 8-oz heirloom, lot code AUG172026 on the top seal. Sold through Amazon between Aug. 20 and Sept. 18.
- Evergreen Fresh Sprouts broccoli sprouts — sold to co-ops, restaurants and grocery stores in Idaho, Montana and Washington. Past expiration and no longer for sale.
What residents should do
The FDA advises consumers, restaurants and retailers to throw away any recalled seeds and to clean and sanitize surfaces or containers that touched them.
Salmonella symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, usually starting 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food, the FDA said. Most people recover within four to seven days. Children younger than 5, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems face higher risk of severe illness.
The CDC recommends calling a health care provider right away if symptoms include a fever above 102°F, diarrhea lasting more than two days without improvement, bloody diarrhea, severe vomiting or signs of dehydration.
MyNorthwest reported on Washington's outbreak case count on Monday, Oct. 12. The FDA said it is continuing to work with the supply chain and will update its advisory if additional recalls are initiated.
