Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Oranienburg Infections Linked to

Good Earth Egg Company Shell Eggs (Final Update)

Recall & Advice to Consumers and Retailers

Case Count Maps
Epi Curves
Signs & Symptoms
Key Resources

Posted November 9, 2016 3:30 PM ET

This outbreak appears to be over, but it is a reminder to always follow food safety steps to handle and cook
eggs safely to avoid foodborne illness from raw eggs.

Highlights

Read the Recall & Advice to Consumers, Restaurants, and Retailers >>
This outbreak appears to be over, but it is a reminder to always follow food safety steps to handle and
cook eggs safely (https://www.cdc.gov/Features/SalmonellaEggs/index.html) to avoid foodborne illness
from raw eggs.
CDC, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and Department of Agriculture, several
states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(http://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/Outbreaks/ucm523017.htm) (FDA)
investigated a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Oranienburg infections.
Eight people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Oranienburg were reported from three
states.
Two ill people were hospitalized, and no deaths were reported.
Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback investigations identified shell eggs distributed by Good Earth
Egg Company of Bonne Terre, Missouri as the likely source of this outbreak.
On October 3, 2016, Good Earth Egg Company recalled
(http://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls/ucm523727.htm) all of its shell eggs because they have the
potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.
The recall includes all shell eggs produced by this company with sell by dates of 10/8/16 and earlier.
The recalled eggs were distributed throughout the Midwest, including Missouri, Illinois and Kansas, to
supermarkets, wholesalers, restaurants, institutions, and direct sales to customers.
CDC recommends that consumers do not eat and restaurants and retailers do not serve or sell recalled
shell eggs distributed by Good Earth Egg Company.
Outbreak Summary

Introduction
CDC worked with public health and regulatory officials in Missouri, several other states, and the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration
(http://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/Outbreaks/ucm523017.htm) (FDA) to
investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Oranienburg infections.

Public health investigators used the PulseNet system to identify illnesses that were part of this outbreak.
PulseNet, coordinated by CDC, is the national subtyping network of public health and food regulatory
agency laboratories. PulseNet performs DNA fingerprinting on Salmonella bacteria isolated from ill people
by using techniques called pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and whole genome sequencing (WGS).
CDC PulseNet manages a national database of these DNA fingerprints to identify possible outbreaks.

Eight people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Oranienburg were reported from three states.
A list of states and the number of cases in each can be found on the Case Count Map page.

Among people for whom information was available, illnesses started on dates ranging from April 23, 2016
to August 24, 2016. Ill people ranged in age from 1 year to 85, with a median age of 44. Sixty-three percent
of ill people were female. Among seven people with available information, two (29%) were hospitalized. No
deaths were reported.

Whole genome sequencing showed that isolates from ill people are closely related genetically to one
another. This close genetic relationship means that people in this outbreak are more likely to share a
common source of infection.

The strain of Salmonella Oranienburg in this outbreak is closely related genetically to a Salmonella
Oranienburg strain from a 2015 outbreak linked to the Good Earth Egg Company. In the 2015 outbreak, 52
people infected with the outbreak strain were reported from six states. In response to the 2015 outbreak,
Good Earth Egg Company recalled (http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm481066.htm) all of its shell
eggs on January 9, 2016.

Investigation of the Outbreak

Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback investigations identified shell eggs distributed by Good Earth Egg
Company of Bonne Terre, Missouri as the likely source of this outbreak.

In interviews, ill people answered questions about the foods they ate and other exposures in the week
before they became ill. Of the six ill people who were interviewed, all six (100%) reported eating or possibly
eating shell eggs in the week before illness started. Ill people reported eating eggs in restaurants as well as
at home.

Federal, state, and local health and regulatory officials performed a traceback investigation from one
restaurant location in Missouri where three ill people reported eating eggs. This investigation indicated
that Good Earth Egg Company supplied eggs to that restaurant.
 Missouri state and local health officials collected and tested shell eggs from the Missouri restaurant
location and isolated the outbreak strain of Salmonella Oranienburg. Additionally, environmental samples
taken at the Good Earth Egg Company processing facility isolated the outbreak strain of Salmonella
Oranienburg. Whole genome sequencing showed that the isolates of Salmonella Oranienburg from eggs
distributed by Good Earth Egg Company and from environmental samples collected in 2016 at Good Earth
Egg Company were closely related genetically to isolates from ill people in this outbreak and from ill people
and environmental samples in the 2015 outbreak. This close genetic relationship provided additional
evidence that ill people in this outbreak and in the 2015 outbreak got sick from eating shell eggs
distributed by Good Earth Egg Company.

On October 3, 2016, Good Earth Egg Company recalled

(http://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls/ucm523727.htm) all of its shell eggs because they have the potential
to be contaminated with Salmonella . Recalled Good Earth Egg Company products were distributed
throughout the Midwest, including Missouri, Illinois and Kansas.

This outbreak appears to be over, but it is a reminder to always follow food safety steps to handle and cook
eggs safely to avoid foodborne illness from raw eggs.

Previous Outbreak Updates

 November 9, 2016

 October 4, 2016

 Initial Announcement

At A Glance

Case Count: 8
States: 3
Deaths: 0
Hospitalizations: 2
Recall: Yes
 Image of eggs in a carton.

More Information

Advice to Consumers & Retailers

Signs & Symptoms
Key Resources

CLICK TO VIEW EPI CURVE GRAPHS

CLICK TO VIEW CASE COUNT MAP

Get Email Updates

To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address:

What's this? (http://www.cdc.gov/emailupdates/)

Submit

Related Links

Multistate Foodborne Outbreaks

Gastrointestinal (Enteric) Diseases from Animals
Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases
Foodborne Illness A-Z
Estimates of Foodborne Illness
Foodsafety.gov (http://www.foodsafety.gov)
Report a Foodborne Illness
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (http://www.fda.gov)
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (http://www.fsis.usda.gov/)

Follow Salmonella

RSS (http://www2c.cdc.gov/podcasts/createrss.asp?c=334)
 File Formats Help:
How do I view different file formats (PDF, DOC, PPT, MPEG) on this site?
(https://www.cdc.gov/Other/plugins/)

(https://www.cdc.gov/Other/plugins/#pdf)

Page last reviewed: November 9, 2016

Page last updated: November 9, 2016
Content Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov/)
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) (/ncezid/index.html)
Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases (DFWED) (/ncezid/dfwed/index.html)