(CN) - Thirteen people have been affected by a salmonella outbreak in four states that has been traced back to alfalfa sprouts from Kansas, the government said.
The recent outbreak of salmonella illnesses is linked to alfalfa sprouts produced by Sweetwater Farms in Inman, Kan., according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that five people in Kansas, three people in Missouri, three people in Oklahoma and two people in Pennsylvania were infected with salmonella going back to last December. Five of the 13 people infected had to be hospitalized.
The FDA and CDC, along with Kansas and Oklahoma health and agriculture officials, investigated the outbreak and found that Sweetwater's sprouts are the likely cause. Sprout and water samples from the farm tested positive for salmonella, the FDA said.
On Feb. 19, Sweetwater voluntarily recalled its alfalfa sprouts that came from one of its lots. Last Friday, the farm took it a step further by recalling all of its sprout products from the market.
The government says the investigation is ongoing.
Salmonella illnesses usually last 4 to 7 days and symptoms include diarrhea, fever and cramps, which take up to 72 hours to develop.
Children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems are at the highest risk.
About 400 people die each year in the United States from salmonella infection, according to the FDA.
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