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Outbreak of Salmonella Infections

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Posted November 7, 2018 at 11:00 AM ET

CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Agbeni infections.

Latest Outbreak Information

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At A Glance

  • On November 5, 2018, ConAgra Brands recalled four varieties of Duncan Hines cake mix after officials in Oregon identified Salmonella Agbeni in a box of Duncan Hines Classic White Cake Mix.
  • CDC reviewed the PulseNet database and identified five recent infections with the same strain of Salmonella Agbeni as the Salmonella strain identified in the cake mix.
  • The investigation is ongoing to determine if these illnesses in three states are linked to Duncan Hines cake mix.

Advice to Consumers and Retailers

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  • Do not bake with or eat recalled Duncan Hines cake mix, or eat cake prepared with recalled mix. Throw the mix away or return it to the store for a refund.
    • Recalled products include 15.25 oz. boxes of Duncan Hines cake mix in Classic White, Classic Yellow Cake, Classic Butter Golden Cake, and Confetti Cake flavors, with various “best if used by” dates ranging from March 7 to 13, 2019.
    • Check the FDA website for information to identify recalled mixes: a list of “best if used by” dates for each flavor of recalled mix, and product photos.
  • Contact a healthcare provider if you think you got sick from eating recalled cake mix.
  • Retailers should not sell or serve recalled Duncan Hines cake mixes.

In general, CDC advises against eating any raw dough or batter, whether homemade or from a mix. Raw batter can contain germs that could make you sick.

Symptoms of Salmonella Infection

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  • Most people infected with Salmonella bacteria develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 12 to 72 hours after being exposed to the bacteria.
  • The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment.
  • In some people, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other places in the body.
  • In rare cases, Salmonella infection can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics.
  • Children younger than 5 years of age, adults older than 65 years of age, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe illness.
  • For more information, see the CDC Salmonella website.

Investigation Details

November 7, 2018

CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Agbeni infections.

On November 5, 2018, ConAgra Brands recalled four varieties of Duncan Hines cake mix after health officials in Oregon identified Salmonella Agbeni in a box of Duncan Hines Classic White Cake Mix. CDC reviewed the PulseNet database and identified five infections with the same strain of Salmonella Agbeni reported from three states. PulseNet is the national subtyping network of public health and food regulatory agency laboratories coordinated by CDC. Whole genome sequencing (DNA fingerprinting) performed on Salmonella bacteria from ill people in this outbreak showed that the bacteria are closely related genetically. This means that the ill people are more likely to share a common source of infection. Illnesses started on dates from June 13, 2018, to September 17, 2018. Ill people range in age from 26 to 72 years, with a median age of 30. Sixty percent are female. No hospitalizations or deaths have been reported.

In interviews, ill people answered questions about the foods they ate and other exposures in the week before they became ill. Two ill people reported eating cake in the week before their illness began and one reported eating raw cake mix, but brand information was not available. CDC is working with state health departments and FDA to determine if these ill people ate cake or raw cake mix produced by Duncan Hines.

Antibiotic resistance testing by CDC’s National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System laboratory is currently underway.

Outbreak By the Numbers

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