More than half a billion eggs have been recalled and nearly 2000 people have become ill from salmonella since mid-August. Eggs from two Iowa farms, Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms, have been widely distributed, and some have been sold in Kansas.
An investigation by the Food and Drug Administration is continuing.
None of the recalled eggs were stocked at the Pratt Dillons store, manager Jim Dickson said. He has noticed little change in consumer buying habits regarding eggs, except he noted that the price of eggs has gone up.
Walmart stores in Kansas were not affected by the egg recall, according to the company.
The Pratt County office of K-State Research and Extension has posted information on its website relating to salmonella and egg safety. Visit www.pratt.ksu.edu, click Family & Consumer Sciences, then publications. KSU food science specialist Karen Penner reports that the salmonella bacteria is typically found in one in every 20,000 eggs, affecting about 2.7 million eggs annually.
People infected with salmonella bacteria develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts four to seven days and most people recover without treatment; however the illness can be more serious and can cause death, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
