22 Illnesses Prompts Largest Shell Egg Recall Since 2010

Rose Acre Farms of Seymour, IN late Friday recalled  206,749,248 eggs because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella Braenderup, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Acre decided to initiate the recall after at least 22 illnesses on the East Coast were traced back to its egg production farm in Hyde County, North Carolina, which produces 2.3 million eggs a day from 3 million laying hens.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is involved in an investigation that has included an inspection of the facility and interviews of the victims.

Healthy individuals infected with SalmonellaBraenderup can experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella Braenderup can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

The potentially contaminated eggs from the Hyde County farm reached consumers in ten states including Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia by direct delivery to retail stores and restaurants.