According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 20 of the infections were reported from people who are Florida residents or who traveled to Florida the month before they became ill. The “significance” of this connection to Florida is still under investigation, the CDC said. The other states involved in the outbreak are Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
Sick people ranged in age from under 1 to 92, with a median age of 72. Illnesses started to be reported between Jan. 24 and June 12. Public health officials are continuing to interview infected people about the foods they ate the month before they got sick. So far, a common food source has not been identified. It takes up to four weeks for health officials to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.
Meanwhile, some Vidalia onions distributed to several states by A&M Farms and marketed under the Little Bear brand were recalled on June 30 over concerns that they may have been contaminated with listeria. However, the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have not linked the recalled onions to the outbreak investigation, and no illnesses have been tied to consuming the recalled onions. The Little Bear brand of Vidalia onions subject to the recall were sold at some Wegmans stores in Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania, as well as at some Publix stores in Florida and Georgia.
