Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Recall of 200 Million Eggs Makes 12 More People Sick

Twelve more people have fallen ill from a salmonella outbreak that caused a recall of more than 200 million eggs from nine states across the country last month.

That brings the total number of people who have been sickened from the contaminated eggs to 35, with 11 of them having been hospitalized. So far, no deaths have been reported.

Evidence continues to suggest that the origin of the salmonella bacteria outbreak is Indiana-based Rose Acre Farms — specifically one of the company's farm facilities in Hyde County, N.C.

Illnesses were reported in nine different states — Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. The nationally distributed eggs were sold under multiple brand names including Coburn Farms, Country Daybreak, Food Lion, Glenview, Great Value, Nelms, Publix, Sunshine Farms, and Sunups, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The salmonella-contaminated eggs were also sold at Walmart and Food Lion stores.

"Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should not eat, serve, or sell recalled eggs produced by Rose Acre Farms’ Hyde County farm. Throw them away or return them to the place of purchase for a refund," the CDC recommends on its website.

The Washington Post reported that this is not the first time Rose Acres Farms has been linked to a major salmonella outbreak. 450 people were sickened by three different salmonella outbreaks in 1990, all of which were tied to Rose Acre Farms, according to the Post.

Salmonella braenderup is a bacteria that can be found in raw foods and causes symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever, usually about 12 to 72 hours after infection, though the illness can sometimes take weeks to develop. Young children and the elderly are the most at risk for infection. Around 400 people die every year from acute salmonellosis, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

To check whether you've purchased any of the contaminated eggs, check the carton and look for the number "P-1065 (the plant number) and another set of numbers between 011 and 102 (the Julian date)" the CDC says. "For Publix and Sunups egg cartons," the CDC says to check for "plant number P-1359D and Julian date 048A or 049A with Best By dates of APR 02 and APR 03.