On May 13, the CDC declared that the Salmonella outbreak associated with alfalfa sprouts is over. A total of 26 people were sickened across 12 states. States affected by the outbreak include Kansas with 5 cases, Maryland with 2 cases, Missouri with 3 cases, New Jersey with 2 cases, New York with 2 cases, North Carolina with 1 case, North Dakota with 1 case, Ohio with 1 case, Oklahoma with 3 cases, Pennsylvania with 3 cases, Virginia with 2 cases, and Washington with 1 case. Cases began to occur in late November, and continued until early April. Eight people were forced to be hospitalized, and there were no deaths reported. There were two different strains of Salmonella responsible for this outbreak, Salmonella Muenchen and Salmonella Kentucky. Only one person was sickened by Salmonella Kentucky, while 25 were sickened by Salmonella Muenchen.
After conducting interviews, the CDC initially determined that Sweetwater Farms was the source of the outbreak. On February 26, Sweetwater Farms issued a recall of all sprout products that it had produced. However, samples taken from Sweetwater Farms during the course of the investigation tested positive for Salmonella Kentucky and Salmonella Cubana. Salmonella Muenchen was not found at the farm. The CDC did not indicate a specific second source of the outbreak. Investigators have determined that no recalled sprouts should be on the market anymore.
