Summary
A cluster of Salmonella Paratyphi B Variant L(+) Tartrate(+) infections with indistinguishable pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns was detected in October, 2015. Interviews initially identified nut butters, kale, kombucha, chia seeds, and nutrition bars as common exposures. Epidemiologic, environmental, and traceback investigations were conducted. Thirteen ill people infected with the outbreak strain were identified in 10 states with illness onset during July 18–November 22, 2015. Eight of 10 (80%) ill people reported eating Brand A raw sprouted nut butters. Brand A conducted a voluntary recall. Raw sprouted nut butters are a novel outbreak vehicle, though contaminated raw nuts, nut butters, and sprouted seeds have all caused outbreaks previously. Firms producing raw sprouted products, including nut butters, should consider a kill step to reduce risk of contamination. People at greater risk for foodborne illness may wish to consider avoiding raw products containing raw sprouted ingredients.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.