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Salmonella outbreak
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Salmonella outbreaks hit 21 cases in San Diego and 431 in 32 states.
Recalls and investigations target eggs and jalapeños, affecting consumers nationwide.
Background
Multiple Salmonella outbreaks are occurring in the U.S. in 2026. One outbreak linked to raw eggs from Happy Hens farm in San Diego has sickened 21 people, while a larger multistate outbreak linked to jalapeño peppers has affected 431 people across 32 states. Additionally, a recall of over 19 million eggs from Midwest Poultry Services has been upgraded to Class I risk.
How it unfolded
- Jul 22, 2026FDA announces recall of over 19 million eggs from Midwest Poultry Services due to Salmonella risk.
- Jul 28, 2026San Diego County first reports 13 cases and 4 hospitalizations in the Ramona Salmonella outbreak.
- Aug 14, 2026FDA upgrades egg recall to Class I, the highest risk level.
- Aug 17, 2026San Diego County links outbreak to Happy Hens farm; cases rise to 21 with 7 hospitalizations.
- Aug 19, 2026CDC reports 431 cases in jalapeño-linked outbreak across 32 states; 57 hospitalized.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- CDC and FDA are investigating multiple outbreaks and advising consumers to avoid recalled products.
- Public
- Happy Hens denied on social media that the farm is linked to the outbreak.
Still unverified
Happy Hens' denial of link to the outbreak is unconfirmed; the county asserts the link based on investigation.