Salmonella made new victims in Washington and Oregon where 13 people felt ill reportedly due to the alfalfa sprouts of a specific brand named “Sprouters Northwest.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and health officials in Oregon announced a voluntary recall of all of the company’s products which are distributed in grocery stores, supermarkets and used in restaurants in Oregon and Washington.

Retailers or wholesalers are asked to immediately discard or return any products from Sprouters Northwest that contain sprouts.
The first cases of the salmonella poisoning, before the source was found, were reported in early August. People in Clark, Island, King, Pierce, Snohomish, Thurston and Whatcom counties have been sickened because of the infected sprouts.

Health authorities think that the product was probably transmitted from infective farm animals grazing in alfalfa fields, through fecal route. Once a contaminated harvest comes in contact with processing machinery and harvests from other fields, the bacterium spreads easily in the moist and humid environment.

Extra special care is recommended when consuming fresh vegetables and cooking would be best because it kills the bacteria and prevents infection.

Salmonella Typhimirium is a bacterial infection responsible for intestinal infections that usually generate fever, bloody diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.

In rare circumstances Salmonella can be fatal or could cause severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis. In most cases, the infection typically clears itself in a week’s time without medical intervention, but precautions still have to be taken.