CDC investigates six-state salmonella outbreak linked to cookie dough

A six-state salmonella outbreak has been linked to Papa Murphy’s cookie dough, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Tuesday. 

At least 18 illnesses have been reported, with two hospitalizations, the CDC said. Six of the cases are in Washington state, with four each in Oregon and Idaho. The sickened patients ranged in age from 14 to 68. No deaths have been linked to eating the cookie dough.

“The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses,” the CDC said. “This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella.”

Health officials have interviewed 14 of the patients about what they ate in the week before they got sick, according to the CDC, with 12 of the 14 saying they ate food from Papa Murphy’s. 

Nine of those 12 said they ate raw chocolate chip cookie dough or raw S’mores bars dough, the CDC said, and one person ate baked cookies made with the chocolate chip dough. The CDC did not specify if the cookie dough the other two interviewed patients ate was raw or baked. 

Papa Murphy’s has temporarily stopped selling their raw chocolate chip cookie dough and raw S’mores bars dough. While some companies sell cookie dough that’s safe for raw consumption, Papa Murphy’s chocolate chip cookie dough and S’mores bars dough are not meant to be eaten raw, the company said

The CDC urged anyone with the products to throw them out.

The CDC in April updated its “Say No to Raw Dough” advisory. The CDC warned that eating raw rough can cause both salmonella and E. coli infections.

Salmonella bacteria causes around 1.35 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths in the U.S. every year, according to the CDC. Symptoms can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Symptoms start six hours to six days after infection and last four to seven days.