Eggs recalled as dozens fall ill and 13 hospitalized in California due to Salmonella

Officials in California have warned the public against eating, serving or selling the possibly contaminated eggs after over 60 people reported becoming ill

Scores of California residents have become ill, and more than a dozen have been hospitalized after eating eggs contaminated with Salmonella.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is investigating the outbreak following Vega Farms' recall of more than 1,500 dozen egg cartons.

As of December 5, 63 residents have been ill, with 13 hospitalized. There are no reported deaths.

The CDPH is working with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) as people are warned against eating, serving or selling the recalled in-shell eggs distributed by Vega Farms.

“After identifying the supplier of the suspect eggs, CDPH and CDFA conducted an inspection at Vega Farms, Inc. and collected egg and environmental samples for testing,” the release said.

Eggs have been recalled as more than a dozen people are hospitalized with salmonella (Getty/iStock)

“Multiple samples tested positive for Salmonella … Vega Farms eggs were sold to restaurants, grocery stores, co-ops, and in farmers markets in Northern California.”

The CDPH said consumers should not eat the recalled eggs and throw them away, if anyone found the products for sale they were urged to call the complaint hotline.

Details about the recalled eggs include the handler code 2136, the Julian Date 328 and earlier, sell-by dates 12-22-25 and earlier, and the brand name Vega Farms.

Symptoms of Salmonella poisoning include diarrhea, fever, severe vomiting, dehydration, and stomach cramps. Most people who get sick recover within a week. Infections can be severe in young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems, who may require hospitalization.

According to the CDC, as many as 1.3 million people are diagnosed with Salmonella each year in the U.S., and close to 27,000 require hospitalization. It’s estimated that 420 people die each year.

Most infections occur after a person eats contaminated food, drinks contaminated water, or is exposed to animal feces. Outbreaks are most common in the summer months.

The CDC says that drug-resistant Salmonella infections are becoming more common.

“Resistance to antibiotics is increasing in Salmonella, which can limit treatment options for people with severe infections. One way to slow down the development of antimicrobial resistance is by the appropriate use of antibiotics in people and animals,” the agency says.

In September, Arkansas experienced a major egg recall, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration elevated for posing an extreme health risk.

Black Sheep Egg Company recalled 10 types of its brown-and-white eggs due to potential Salmonella contamination.

It was updated days later to a Class I, meaning it’s a “situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death,” the FDA said.

Affected cartons were sold at retailers in Arkansas and Missouri, as well as wholesale and broker locations in Mississippi, Texas and California. However, no illnesses have been reported.