Carson City and Washoe County public health officials announced Tuesday that two people in Carson City and two in Washoe County are among the 42 in the Western states that have been confirmed as having contracted salmonella poisoning from a particular brand of white pepper.
Other affected states include California with 33 cases, Oregon with 4 and Washington with one case.
The last known date of onset of illness for this outbreak is March 13. No deaths have been reported, though eight people were hospitalized, according to a news release from the Washoe County Public Health Division.
Carson City health official Dustin Boothe said it appears Nevada's four cases all stemmed from the same Asian restaurant in Reno.
Booth said one of the Carson City victims fell ill in January, the other in February.
He declined to name the restaurant but stated the business was informed to cease the use of Union International Food Company's Lian How or Uncle Chen white pepper.
While only ground white pepper has been connected to illness in Northern Nevada, Union International immediately announced a voluntary recall of all of the following spices sold in both industrial kitchen and home use sizes:
- Cayenne pepper
- Curry powder
- Garlic - chopped, granulated, minced and powder
- Ginger powder
- Mustard powder
- Onion - chopped and powder
- Paprika
- Pepper, black - ground and whole
- Pepper, white - ground and whole
- Turmeric
- Wasabi powder
These products were sold primarily to distributors and restaurants. They are packaged under the Lian How brand name for commercial use.
The items intended for individual consumer purchase and recalled from retail stores could display the "Uncle Chen" brand name.⵰
Healthy individuals infected with salmonella often experience diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramping, nausea and sometimes vomiting. Symptoms typically last less than a week. In rare circumstances, the infection can result in the organism getting into the blood stream and producing more severe illnesses. Anyone with these symptoms should consult with their healthcare provider. Consumers with questions about the recall may contact UIFC at 510-471-6799.