The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and public health officials in multiple states are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections linked to eggs.
This outbreak prompted a recall of approximately 1.7 million cartons of eggs distributed by August Egg Company.
As of June 5, 79 people across seven states have been infected with the outbreak strain, with illnesses reported in Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Washington, and Wyoming. Of the 61 individuals with available information, 21 have been hospitalized.
No deaths have been reported. Illnesses began between February 24 and May 17, 2025. Six affected individuals reported traveling to California or Nevada the week before becoming ill.
“The true number of sick people in this outbreak was likely much higher than the number reported, and this outbreak may not have been limited to the states with known illnesses,” the CDC stated, noting that many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella. It typically takes three to four weeks to confirm if a case is part of an outbreak.
Of the 79 cases, 59% were female, with a median age of 48 and an age range of 1 to 90 years. Among 42 people with race data, 94% were White, 2% were African American/Black, 2% were Asian, and 2% reported more than one race. Of 53 with ethnicity data, 74% were non-Hispanic, and 26% were Hispanic.
Public health officials interviewed 30 affected individuals, and 27 (90%) reported eating eggs. Two restaurant illness sub-clusters, where unrelated sick individuals ate at the same location, were identified, with eggs served at both. FDA’s traceback investigation pinpointed August Egg Company as a common supplier. Inspections at the company’s processing facility revealed Salmonella in some samples, with whole genome sequencing (WGS) confirming a close genetic match to the outbreak strain.
WGS analysis also indicated that bacteria from all 79 cases showed resistance to nalidixic acid and nonsusceptibility to ciprofloxacin, with one case showing additional resistance to ampicillin and streptomycin.
“Most people with Salmonella illness recover without antibiotics. However, if antibiotics are needed, some illnesses in this outbreak may not be treatable with some commonly recommended antibiotics and may require a different antibiotic choice,” the CDC noted.
On June 6, August Egg Company voluntarily recalled 1.7 million cartons of brown cage-free and certified organic eggs with sell-by dates from March 4 to June 19, 2025. The eggs were distributed to stores including Walmart, Save Mart, FoodMaxx, Lucky, Smart & Final, Safeway, Raley’s, Food 4 Less, and Ralphs in California, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, New Mexico, Nebraska, Indiana, and Illinois.
Brands include Clover Organic, First Street, Nulaid, O Organics, Marketside, Raley’s, Simple Truth, Sun Harvest, and Sunnyside. A full list of recalled eggs with plant and carton UPC numbers is available on the FDA website.
The CDC advises consumers not to eat, sell, or serve recalled eggs and to throw them out or return them to the store. Surfaces that may have contacted the eggs should be washed thoroughly.
Salmonella can cause diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, and fever, with symptoms appearing hours to a week after consuming contaminated food. It can be fatal for young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.