E. coli and salmonella outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts sickens 55 people

The CDC linked alfalfa sprouts sold under Calco and Everything Sprouts brands to an outbreak involving three E. coli strains and one salmonella strain, sickening 55 people across 15 states between May 31 and August 8, 2026. Of those infected, 46 contracted E. coli and seven contracted salmonella, with four requiring hospitalization. Minnesota and Wisconsin accounted for nearly 70 percent of cases, and the CDC urged consumers to discard affected products.

Alfalfa sprouts outbreak

• ▪The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked alfalfa sprouts to a current E. coli and salmonella outbreak as of August 21, 2026
• ▪The alfalfa sprouts outbreak involves three different strains of E. coli and one strain of salmonella
• ▪The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tied foodborne illness cases to alfalfa sold under the Calco and Everything Sprouts brands
• ▪The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged Americans who purchased the affected alfalfa sprouts to throw them away or return them

Geographic case distribution

• ▪The alfalfa sprouts outbreak resulted in 55 reported cases spread across 15 states as of August 21, 2026
• ▪Cases in Minnesota and Wisconsin accounted for nearly 70 percent of recorded infections in the alfalfa sprouts outbreak
• ▪The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention traced back some alfalfa sprouts outbreak cases to restaurants in Minnesota and Wisconsin that reported using Everything Sprouts-branded alfalfa

Hospitalization numbers

• ▪Four cases in the alfalfa sprouts outbreak resulted in hospitalization as of August 21, 2026
• ▪Two people in the alfalfa sprouts outbreak caught both E. coli and salmonella
• ▪Of the 55 alfalfa sprouts outbreak cases, 46 people contracted E. coli and seven contracted salmonella

Pathogen symptom profiles

• ▪Salmonella symptoms can emerge between six hours and six days after infection and last four to seven days
• ▪E. coli infection symptoms can begin just a few days to as many as nine days after ingesting E. coli bacteria

Infection timeline details

• ▪76 percent of infected people in the alfalfa sprouts outbreak reported eating the sprouts in the week before they got sick
• ▪The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked alfalfa sprouts to a current E. coli and salmonella outbreak as of August 21, 2026

Investigation findings

• ▪Traceback data tied alfalfa sprouts outbreak infections to alfalfa from Calco and Everything Sprouts sold at grocery stores and used in restaurants
• ▪The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's FoodNet Population survey found only 8.7 percent of respondents had eaten alfalfa sprouts within the past seven days
• ▪Investigators found the percentage of infected people who ate alfalfa was much higher than the number of Americans who report eating it, supporting the finding that the sprout caused the illness

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