As of March 21 2016, 27 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Virchow have been reported from 20 states. A list of states and the number of cases in each can be found on the Case Count Map page.
Among people for whom information is available, illnesses started on dates ranging from December 5, 2015 to March 13, 2016. Ill people range in age from less than 1 year to 84, with a median age of 35. Fifty-six percent of ill people are female. Among 19 ill people with available information, 5 (26%) reported being hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.
Illnesses that occurred after February 28, 2016 might not be reported yet. This takes an average of 2 to 4 weeks. Please see the Timeline for Reporting Cases of Salmonella Infection for more details. The recalled products have a long shelf life and may still be in people’s homes, and illnesses may continue to be reported.
Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence indicates that RAW Meal Organic Shake & Meal products made by Garden of Life, LLC are the likely source of this outbreak.
As a result of this investigation, Garden of Life, LLC voluntarily recalled several lots of RAW Meal Organic Shake & Meal products, available in chocolate, original, vanilla, and vanilla chai, on January 29, 2016 (initial recall) and February 12, 2016 (expanded recall).