More than 600 people in 37 US states have been infected with salmonella spread from onions. After the outbreak, people in the United States have been advised to throw away red, white and yellow onions without labels.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said one source of the infection has been identified as onions imported from Chihuahua, Mexico, and supplied by an Idaho-based company. So far 652 people have fallen ill and 129 of them have been admitted to hospital. No deaths have been reported.

The CDC says the actual number of sick people may be higher because most cases are not reported. The 652 people fell ill between May 31 and September 30.

In a statement, the CDC said that, according to those who fell ill, 75 per cent had eaten raw onions or had onions in their food before falling sick. Many said they had eaten at the same restaurant.

The CDC has advised people not to buy onions imported from Chihuahua. Anyone with onions that lack a sticker or packaging information should throw them away and clean the places where they were kept with soap and water. People infected with salmonella develop diarrhoea, fever and stomach pain between six hours and six days after eating contaminated food.

Source: Amader Shomoy. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.