#CDC issues warning on onion-linked salmonella outbreak

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a warning that a salmonella outbreak believed to be linked to onions imported from Chihuahua, Mexico has spread to 37 states — sickening over 650 people.

The CDC directed businesses on Wednesday evening to stop selling fresh whole red, white, or yellow onions that were imported from Chihuahua and distributed by ProSource Inc.

It also suggested businesses clean any surfaces that may have touched such onions.

The agency urged Americans to throw away any whole red, white, or yellow onions that don’t have a sticker or packaging.

People should also throw out onions that have stickers or packaging identifying the brand ProSource and Mexico as the country of origin, the agency said.

“If you can’t tell where the onions are from, don’t buy or eat them,” the CDC said in a statement.

ProSource indicated that the suspect onions were last imported on August 27, according to the CDC, but they can last for up to three months in storage “and may still be in homes and businesses.”

As of Wednesday, more than 650 people have become sick from the outbreak and almost 130 people have been hospitalized across 37 states, the CDC said, though it’s previously warned that the true number of people sickened may be much higher.

There have been no deaths associated with the salmonella outbreak, according to the agency’s data.

The CDC is still investigating whether “other onions and suppliers are linked” to the outbreak, which the CDC previously called “fast-growing.”

Salmonella symptoms usually start six hours to six days after infection and most people recover without treatment after four to seven days, according to the CDC.

Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, vomiting and stomach cramps.

Some vulnerable people, including kids younger than 5, adults over 65 years old and people with compromised immune systems, can become severely sick and require hospitalization.

Representatives for ProSource did not immediately return The Post’s request for comment.