Posted: August 18th, 2010 - 12:45pm
Source: USA Today

A national outbreak of salmonella in eggs has sickened hundreds of people since May and appears to be ongoing, experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say. The outbreak has been tracked to in-shell eggs from Wright County Egg in Galt, Iowa, which has launched a recall.
The Associated Press estimates the total number of eggs recalled at 228 million.
Eggs from the company were sold under multiple brand names: Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph's, Boomsma's, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemps. They were distributed nationwide. The recall was launched Aug. 13.
The recall covers eggs in their shells packed between May 16 and Aug. 13. They come in cartons ranging from six to 18 eggs and are marked with plant numbers P-1026, P-1413 and P-1946. The eggs should be returned for a refund and not consumed.
The type of salmonella causing the outbreak, salmonella enteritidis, is the most common form. The normal level of laboratory-confirmed cases nationally for this specific type is about 50 cases per week. When that jumped to 200 cases a week in June, public health workers realized they had a problem, says Casey Barton Behravesh, a veterinary epidemiologist with the CDC. Many states had reported increases since May.