Jimmy John's sprouts linked to salmonella illnesses in Wisconsin

Five people in Wisconsin have been sickened by salmonella infection linked to sprouts sold at Jimmy John's sandwich shops, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced Friday.

The cases involve people who ate sprouts at Jimmy John’s restaurant's around the state from mid- to late December, according to a news release.

State health officials are working to identify the source of sprouts supplied to the restaurants and determine if they were distributed to other locations.

People in other states have also been diagnosed with salmonella after eating sprouts at Jimmy John’s restaurants, according to the DHS, which has asked Jimmy John’s locations in Wisconsin to remove sprouts from their menu until an investigation is completed.

For the time being, the DHS has advised people to not eat sprouts from Jimmy John’s while reminding them to always cook sprouts before eating to avoid the risk of illness.

If people have eaten sprouts and become ill with diarrhea and fever, they should call their doctor and local health department, the DHS said.

The spread of salmonella from person to person may be avoided by careful hand washing with soap and water, particularly after using the restroom, the DHS said.