PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The Inspectorate of Public Health, Social Development and Labor has found and ordered the destruction of eggs that may be contaminated with the Salmonella bacteria and that were found in various markets on the local market. The eggs that were found originated from the second largest egg production plant by the name ROSE ACRE FARMS in the United States.
There have been confirmed reports from the FDA connecting 22 cases of gastro intestinal illness to the badge of contaminated eggs. There have been no reported cases on Sint Maarten yet.
Healthy individuals infected with the bacteria can experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. The Salmonella bacteria strain can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with a weakened immune response. In this outbreak, laboratory testing identified the outbreak strain as the Salmonella Braenderup bacteria.
Clues to help consumers identify the recalled eggs include the P-1065 plant number and Julian date range of 011 through 102 printed on the cartons or packaging. Julian Dates start with Jan. 1 as 001 and end with Dec. 31 as 365 for the consecutive days of the year. The number system is sometimes used on egg cartons to denote the day the eggs are packed.
