Investigations of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks

Note: Not all recalls and alerts result in an outbreak of foodborne illness. Check recent Food Recalls and Safety Alerts.

The following is a list of outbreak and adverse event investigations primarily being managed by FDA’s CORE Response Teams. The investigations are in a variety of stages, meaning that some have limited information, while others may be near completion. If you think you have symptoms of foodborne illness, talk to your healthcare provider and public health officials to provide them with details of what you ate before becoming sick. This often aids in helping solve emerging or ongoing outbreaks.

A public health advisory will be issued for investigations that have resulted in specific, actionable steps for consumers to take to protect themselves. Please direct your attention to those pages for the most up to date information on the investigation and for consumer protection information.

Outbreak and adverse event investigations that do not result in specific, actionable steps for consumers may or may not conclusively identify a source or reveal any contributing factors. Adverse event investigations rely on self-reported data. Although these reports may name a particular product, FDA will only indicate a product category in the table and will not publicly name a specific product until there is sufficient evidence to implicate that product as a cause of illnesses or adverse events. If a cause and/or contributing factors are identified that could inform future prevention, FDA commits to providing a summary of those findings.

What's New

• A new outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes (ref #1286) linked to a not yet identified product has been added to the table. FDA has initiated sampling.
• For the outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes (ref #1292) linked to a not yet identified product, FDA has initiated an inspection.
• For the outbreak of Salmonella Newport (ref #1291), the case count has increased from 31 to 33 cases, and the outbreak has ended.

Active Investigations

Date Posted	Reference #	Pathogen or Cause of Illness	Product(s) Linked to Illnesses (if any)	Total Case Count	Investigation Status	Outbreak/ Event Status	Recall Initiated	FDA Traceback Initiated	FDA Inspection Initiated	FDA Sampling Initiated
3/13/2025	1286	Listeria monocytogenes	Not Yet Identified	28	Active	Ongoing See Advice				✔
3/5/2025	1292	Listeria monocytogenes	Not Yet Identified	3	Active	Ongoing See Advice		✔	✔	✔
2/20/2025	1291	Salmonella Newport	Not Yet Identified	33	Active	Ended See Advice		✔
2/5/2025	1288	Salmonella Enteritidis	Mini Pastries	See Advisory	Active	Ongoing See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔
1/15/2025	1285	Listeria monocytogenes	Not Yet Identified	36	Active	Ongoing See Advice		✔	✔	✔
12/26/2024	1281	Listeria monocytogenes	Frozen Shakes	See Advisory	Active	Ongoing See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔

Closed Investigations

2024 Investigations

Date Posted	Reference #	Pathogen or Cause of Illness	Product(s) Linked to Illnesses (if any)	Total Case Count	Investigation Status	Outbreak/ Event Status	Recall Initiated	Traceback Initiated	On-Site Inspection Initiated	Sample Collection & Analysis Initiated
12/11/2024	1282	E. coli O145:H28	Not Identified	8	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔
12/4/2024	1280	E. coli O157:H7	Romaine Lettuce	89	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔	✔	✔
11/27/2024	1277	Salmonella Typhimurium	Imported Cucumbers	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔
11/6/2024	1273	E. coli O121:H19	Organic Carrots	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
10/30/2024	1272	E. coli O26:H11	Sprouts	10	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔	✔	✔
10/23/2024	1270	E. coli O157:H7	Onions	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
11/14/2024	1269	E. coli O157:H7	Not Identified	26	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔
10/23/2024	1268	Listeria monocytogenes	Alfalfa Sprouts	4	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔	✔	✔
10/17/2024	1262	Salmonella Thompson	Not Identified	25	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔
10/9/2024	1265	Salmonella Liverpool	Not Identified	3	Closed	Ended See Advice
9/4/2024	1250	Salmonella Enteritidis	Eggs	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
8/28/2024	1249	E. coli O157:H7	Spinach	28	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔	✔	✔
8/21/2024	1247	Listeria monocytogenes	Not Identified	4	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔		✔
8/7/2024	1248	Salmonella Newport	Not Identified	9	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔	✔
8/7/2024	1245	Cyclospora cayetanensis	Shrimp  Salad	61	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔	✔	✔
7/31/2024	1237	Cyclospora cayetanensis	Imported Parsley	49	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔	✔	✔
7/10/2024	1235	Salmonella Irumu	Mangoes	32	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔		✔
6/19/2024	1234	Salmonella Typhimurium	Jalapeno Pepper	90	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔	✔	✔
6/12/2024	1233	Not Identified	Chocolate, Gummies, Cones	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
5/22/2024	1227	Salmonella Africana & Braenderup	Cucumbers	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
5/22/2024	1232	Listeria monocytogenes	Bagged  Salad Mix	2	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔	✔	✔
4/17/2024	1221	E. coli O157:H7	Organic Walnuts	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
4/10/2024	1218	Salmonella Typhimurium	Organic Fresh Basil	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔
2/20/2024	1215	E. coli O157:H7	Raw Cheddar Cheese	See Advisory	Closed	Ended  See Advisory	See Advisory	✔		✔
1/24/2024	1214	Listeria monocytogenes	Queso Fresco and Cotija Cheese	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔

2023 Investigations

Date Posted	Reference #	Pathogen or Cause of Illness	Product(s) Linked to Illnesses (if any)	Total Case Count	Investigation Status	Outbreak/ Event Status	Recall Initiated	Traceback Initiated	On-Site Inspection Initiated	Sample Collection & Analysis Initiated
12/6/2023	1205	Listeria monocytogenes	Not Identified	3	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔	✔	✔
11/22/2023	1201	Salmonella Newport	Not Identified	45	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔
11/22/2023	1203	Salmonella Sundsvall and Oranienburg	Cantaloupe	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔		✔
11/15/2023	989	Listeria monocytogenes	Peaches, Plums, and Nectarines	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory		✔	✔
11/15/2023	1192	E. coli O103	Not Identified	12	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔
11/8/2023	1198	Elevated Lead & Chromium Levels	Apple Cinnamon Puree	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
11/1/2023	1195	E. coli O121:H19	Not Identified	37	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔	✔	✔
10/4/2023	1190	Salmonella Thompson	Onions	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
8/30/2023	1179	Salmonella Newport	Watermelon and Cantaloupe	11	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔	✔	✔
8/30/2023	1174	Cryptosporidium	Not Identified	11	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔
8/9/2023	1172	Listeria monocytogenes	Ice Cream	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
7/26/2023	1171	Cyclospora cayetanensis	Not Identified	59	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔		✔
7/26/2023	1165	E. coli O26	Not Identified	13	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔
7/12/2023	1166	E. coli  O157:H7	Not Identified	12	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔
7/6/2023	1163	Cyclospora cayetanensis	Not Identified	140	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔		✔
6/14/2023	1159	Cyclospora  cayetanensis	Not Identified	72	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔	✔	✔
6/14/2023	1157	Salmonella Paratyphi B var. L(+) tartrate+	Pico de Gallo	37	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔	✔	✔
5/24/2023	1156	Salmonella Enteritidis	Raw Cookie Dough	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory		✔	✔	✔
5/24/2023	1155	Cyclospora  cayetanensis	Broccoli	20	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔		✔
4/26/2023	1152	Not Identified	Morel Mushroom	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory		✔		✔
3/29/2023	1141	Salmonella Infantis	Raw Flour	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
3/8/2023	1144	Salmonella Hartford	Not Identified	54	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔	✔	✔
3/1/2023	1143	Hepatitis A Virus	Frozen Strawberries	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
2/15/2023	1123	Listeria monocytogenes	Leafy Greens	See CDC Notice	Closed	Ended CDC Notice		✔	✔	✔

 

2022 Investigations

Date Posted	Reference #	Pathogen or Cause of Illness	Product(s) Linked to Illnesses (if any)	Total Case Count	Investigation Status	Outbreak/ Event Status	Recall Initiated	Traceback Initiated	On-Site Inspection Initiated	Sample Collection & Analysis Initiated
12/28/2022	1137	Salmonella Typhimurium	Alfalfa Sprouts	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
11/16/2022	1113	Salmonella Typhimurium	Not Identified	274	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔		✔
11/9/2022	1127	Listeria monocytogenes	Enoki Mushrooms	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
10/24/2022	1121	E. coli O157:H7	Not Identified	11	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔
10/12/2022	1115	E. coli O121:H19	Frozen Falafel	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
9/28/2022	1105	Salmonella Litchfield	Seafood	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
9/14/2022	1106	Listeria monocytogenes	Brie and Camembert Cheese	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
8/31/2022	1097	Salmonella Mississippi	Not Identified	103	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔
8/17/2022	1095	Salmonella Typhimurium	Cantaloupe	87	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔	✔	✔
8/17/2022	1087	Salmonella Senftenberg	Not Identified	35	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔
8/17/2022	1081	E. coli O157:H7	Not Identified	See CDC Notice	Closed	Ended See CDC Notice		✔	✔	✔
8/3/2022	1080	Cyclospora  cayetanensis	Not Identified	84	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔	✔	✔
7/27/2022	1084	Cyclospora  cayetanensis	Not Identified	43	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔		✔
6/29/2022	1076	Not Identified	Frozen Food	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
6/22/2022	1075	Salmonella Braenderup	Not Identified	75	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔
6/22/2022	1072	Salmonella Paratyphi B var. L(+) tartrate+	Not Identified	14	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔
6/15/2022	1070	Listeria monocytogenes	Not Identified	12	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔
6/8/2022	1068	E. coli O157:H7	Not Identified	10	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔
6/1/2022	1066	Hepatitis A Virus	Strawberries	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory		✔	✔
5/25/2022	1067	Salmonella  Senftenberg	Peanut Butter	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
4/20/2022	1064	None Identified	Dry Cereal	558 adverse event reports	Closed	Ended See Advice			✔	✔
4/13/2022	1057	Listeria monocytogenes	Ice Cream	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔
3/30/2022	1060	None Identified	Meal Replacement Drink	6 adverse event reports	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔		✔
3/16/2022	1055	Salmonella Saintpaul	Not Identified	60	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔
2/17/2022	1056	Cronobacter sakazakii	Powdered Infant Formula	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
2/9/2022	1040	Listeria monocytogenes	Not Identified	20	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔	✔	✔
2/2/2022	1054	Enteroinvasive E. coli O143:H26	Not Identified	16	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔
1/10/22	1050	E. coli O121:H19	Romaine	4	Closed	Ended		✔

2021 Investigations

Date Posted	Reference #	Pathogen or Cause of Illness	Product(s) Linked to Illnesses (if any)	Total Case Count	Investigation Status	Outbreak Status	Recall Initiated	Traceback Initiated	On-Site Inspection Initiated	Sample Collection & Analysis Initiated
12/29/2021	1052	E. coli O157:H7	Packaged Salad	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory		✔	✔	✔
12/20/2021	1039	Listeria monocytogenes	Packaged Salad	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
12/15/2021	1048	Listeria monocytogenes	Packaged Salad	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
11/24/2021	1044	Salmonella Javiana	Cut Cantaloupe	65	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔	✔	✔
11/17/2021	1043	E. coli O157:H7	Spinach	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory		✔	✔	✔
10/6/2021	1029	Listeria monocytogenes	Not Identified	20	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔	✔	✔
9/15/2021	1031	Salmonella Oranienburg	Red, Yellow, and White Onions	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
9/15/2021	1025	Salmonella Thompson	Seafood	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
8/11/2021	1026	Cyclospora	Not Identified2	401	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔
7/14/2021	1019	Salmonella Typhimurium	Salad Greens	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
7/14/2021	1020	Cyclospora	Not Identified2	1301	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔	✔	✔
7/14/2021	1010	E. coli O121	Cake Mix	See CDC Notice	Closed	Ended See CDC Notice		✔	✔	✔
6/9/2021	1007	Salmonella Weltevreden	Shrimp	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔
4/21/2021	1003	Salmonella	Cashew Brie	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔
4/28/2021	1004	E. coli O145:H28	Not Identified	16	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔
3/17/2021	999	Acute Non-viral Hepatitis	Alkaline Bottled Water	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory		✔	✔
2/17/2021	995	Listeria monocytogenes	Hispanic -style fresh and soft cheese	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory		✔	✔
2/17/2021	994	E. coli O157:H7	Not Identified	See CDC Notice	Closed	Ended See CDC Notice		✔
1/13/2021	990	Salmonella Miami	Not Identified	65	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔		✔

¹ This cluster represents a subset of the total number of domestically-acquired cases of cyclosporiasis cases in the U.S.

² Based on CDC’s epidemiological investigation of two large multistate outbreaks of cyclosporiasis, ill people reported eating a variety of leafy greens before becoming sick. For both investigations, CDC, FDA, and state and local partners conducted epidemiologic and traceback investigations and collected and analyzed product and environmental samples. All samples collected were reported as negative for Cyclospora. Due to the lack of additional detail in the epidemiological data and the absence of supporting evidence collected from traceback and sample collection, FDA could not identify a specific product as the source of either outbreak.

2020 Investigations

Date Posted	Reference #	Pathogen or Cause of Illness	Product(s) Linked to Illnesses (if any)	Total Case Count	Investigation Status	Outbreak Status	Recall Initiated	Traceback Initiated	On-Site Inspection Initiated	Sample Collection & Analysis Initiated
12/23/2020	11	Salmonella Potsdam	Not Identified	7	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔	✔	✔
11/18/2020	E-441626	E. coli O157:H7	Leafy Greens	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory		✔	✔	✔
11/18/2020	5	E. coli O157:H7	Not Identified	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory		✔	✔	✔
11/18/2020	7	E. coli O157:H7	Not Identified	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory		✔	✔	✔
11/18/2020	E-439945	Salmonella Newport	Not Identified	80	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔	✔	✔
11/18/2020	4	Salmonella Paratyphi B	Not Identified	18	Closed	Ended See MN Release and Advice		✔		✔
11/18/2020	E-442972	Salmonella Thompson	Not Identified	34	Closed	Ended See Advice		✔
11/18/2020	E-435502	Salmonella Enteritidis	Peaches	See Advisory	Closed	Ended See Advisory	See Advisory	✔	✔	✔

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Related Links

CDC Investigations

FSIS Investigations

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Table Definitions

Date Posted: Date the investigation is posted to the table. This happens once CORE begins to actively coordinate an investigation. In collaboration with federal and state partners, CORE initiates response activities to control the outbreak or adverse events.

Reference Number: This number is assigned to incidents that CORE is working on. Each foodborne illness investigation on the table will have a unique reference number and this is provided to help users of this table differentiate between investigations. Those reference numbers beginning with an “E” have carried over from an older numbering system that will not be used by CORE in the future.

Pathogen or Cause of Illness: A bacterium, virus, other microorganism, toxin, or other contaminant that can cause disease.

Product(s) Linked to Illnesses (if any): During an outbreak or adverse event investigation, the FDA and CDC, along with state and local authorities collect and analyze three types of information: epidemiological information, laboratory analyses of food and/or samples taken from food production environments, and traceback investigation findings. Each outbreak or adverse event is unique and the information available to investigators varies from outbreak to outbreak – however, through rigorous analysis of the information collected, investigators are often able to identify a likely or confirmed food source of an outbreak or adverse events. Additionally, adverse event investigations rely on self-reported data, which may not include all necessary information to fully investigate the product or event. It is important to note that before a specific food is linked to an outbreak or adverse events, the investigation of a commodity or a specific food by the FDA, CDC and state and local partners does not mean that the food is the cause of an outbreak or adverse events. In many cases the investigation is also looking to rule out specific foods even as it identifies the particular suspect. If there is evidence that a specific food is linked to illnesses, it will be reflected here and health authorities will warn the public about that food.

Total Case Count: Updated weekly. For outbreak investigations, the case count is provided to the FDA by the CDC. Case counts are dynamic and the exact number of illnesses constantly changes during an investigation. This number is provided in order to provide an estimate of the size of an outbreak each week. In the case of adverse event investigations, FDA will provide the number of adverse events that have been self-reported by consumers to FDA, which could include duplicate reports. More formalized data will be published in CDC Investigation Notices or in FDA and CDC advisories, should they be posted.

Investigation Status: Communicates whether this outbreak is still under investigation by CORE or the investigational activities have ended. Options for this column would be either “Active” or “Closed”. At times an FDA investigation may be active after an outbreak has ended.

Outbreak/Event Status: Communicates whether this outbreak or series of adverse event reports is ongoing or has ended.

Recall Initiated: A recall occurs when a firm takes a product off the market because there is reason to believe that it may cause consumers to become ill. In some situations, FDA may request the company recall a potentially contaminated food. In other situations, FDA may issue a mandatory recall if there is a reasonable probability that the food is adulterated under certain FDA authorities, and that the food could cause serious illnesses or death.

FDA Traceback Initiated: Used to identify the source and distribution of the implicated food and remove the contaminated product from the marketplace, to distinguish between two or more implicated food products, and to determine potential routes and/or sources of contamination in order to help prevent future illnesses. For additional information, see How the FDA Uses Traceback to Respond to Foodborne Illness Outbreaks.

FDA Inspection Initiated: An official examination by FDA of the operational processes of a facility to determine its compliance with federal law, which may include, among other things, record and sample collection. Activities reported on the table are limited to those conducted by FDA; however, state and local partners work in coordination with FDA and may also conduct inspectional activities. Additional information on the different types of inspections conducted by FDA can be found on the FDA website.

FDA Sampling Initiated: Collection of samples for the presence or absence of a pathogen in a food or in the environment surrounding the food. Samples reported on the table include those collected by the FDA or state collected samples that are analyzed by the FDA. Significant sample findings are reviewed by FDA and are reported in Public Health Advisories.

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Who to Contact

Consumers who have symptoms should contact their health care provider to report their symptoms and receive care.

To report a complaint or adverse event (illness or serious allergic reaction), 
visit Industry and Consumer Assistance.