As of July 23, 2020, a total of 212 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Newport have been reported from 23 states – Arizona 13, California 10, Florida 1, Idaho 5, Illinois 9, Iowa 10, Maine 2, Michigan 15, Minnesota 3, Missouri 3, Montana 11, Nebraska 5, North Carolina 3, North Dakota 3, Ohio 5, Oregon 51, South Dakota 6, Tennessee 2, Utah 40, Virginia 3, Washington 1, Wisconsin 2 and Wyoming 9. Illnesses started on dates ranging from June 19, 2020, to July 11, 2020, Ill people range in age from 0 to 92 years, with a median age of 40. Fifty-four percent of ill people are female. Of 117 ill people with information available, 31 hospitalizations have been reported. No deaths have been reported.

The CDC as of a few moments ago has not updated the numbers ill – it is likely that the number will be significantly higher.  Also, neither the CDC nor FDA have publicly linked the Salmonella Newport illnesses to red onions grown in the US as has their Canadian counterpart.

According to Canada, as of July 30, 2020, there have been 114 confirmed cases of Salmonella Newport illness linked to this outbreak in the following provinces: British Columbia 43, Alberta 55, Manitoba 13, Ontario 2 and Prince Edward Island 1.  Individuals became sick between mid-June and mid-July 2020. Information is available for 102 illnesses. Out of 102 people, 16 individuals have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Individuals who became ill are between 3 and 100 years of age. The majority of cases (56%) are female.

According to Canada, individuals who became ill reported eating red onions, grown in the US, at home, in menu items ordered at restaurants and in residential care settings. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is conducting a food safety investigation. If contaminated food products are identified, CFIA will take the necessary steps to protect the public, including recalling the product as required.

Additional Resources

Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of Salmonella outbreaks. The Salmonella lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Salmonella and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $750 million for clients.  Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation.  Our Salmonella lawyers have litigated Salmonella cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of foods, such as cantaloupe, tomatoes, ground turkey, salami, sprouts, cereal, peanut butter, and food served in restaurants.  The law firm has brought Salmonella lawsuits against such companies as Cargill, ConAgra, Peanut Corporation of America, Sheetz, Taco Bell, Subway and Wal-Mart.

If you or a family member became ill with a Salmonella infection, including Reactive Arthritis or Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark Salmonella attorneys for a free case evaluation.