Genetic testing has connected Salmonella found inside two hen houses at Happy Hens poultry farm in Ramona with strains recovered from people sickened in San Diego County. The result moves the investigation from an association involving raw eggs to a microbiological link at the farm, county health officials reported Friday.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration began a routine inspection at Happy Hens on Aug. 17 for reasons the county said were unrelated to the outbreak. Inspectors collected environmental samples from floors, perch rails and nest boxes where chicken waste accumulates. Two of the seven hen houses tested positive for Salmonella.
Laboratory comparison matched those farm findings to the outbreak strains. That is stronger evidence than a shared purchase history because it compares the organism's genetic fingerprint across environmental and patient samples. Egg tests were still pending as of Sept. 4, so the notice did not say that every carton from the farm was contaminated or identify a particular lot.
The regional count has reached 23 cases, up from 21 on Aug. 17. Seven people have been hospitalized. Patients live in La Mesa, Del Mar, Ramona and Jamul, with one additional case in Riverside County. The county continues to work with the FDA and California's public-health and food-agriculture agencies.
California public-health officials shared the FDA findings with Happy Hens and recommended a voluntary recall. The farm had not issued one by the county's Sept. 4 update. That leaves an unusual gap between the strength of the environmental match and the absence, at that point, of a formal recall removing eggs from sale.
County environmental-health staff said they contacted retail food facilities to keep eggs associated with the outbreak from being used or distributed until they are considered safe. The notice did not publish a list of stores, package codes or sell-by dates. Consumers therefore received a broad farm-level warning rather than the product-level instructions that typically accompany a recall.
The investigation began after illness was linked to mayonnaise made with raw eggs at a Ramona market. Officials later identified cases involving the same strain outside that market. The new farm evidence can explain how separate food settings acquired a common organism, though pending egg results and the continuing investigation mean the full distribution path has not been publicly resolved.
This cluster is separate from a multistate Midwest outbreak that the county said had sickened 134 people. Keeping the investigations distinct prevents a national recall or advisory from being mistaken for the local response. The actionable local information comes from the county's Happy Hens finding and its outreach to food businesses.
County guidance remains basic but consequential: cook eggs until whites and yolks are firm, discard cracked or dirty eggs rather than washing them, refrigerate shell eggs at 45 degrees or below, and clean hands, utensils and preparation surfaces after contact with raw egg. People who develop diarrhea, fever or abdominal cramps after eating undercooked eggs should seek medical advice and promptly report the illness to county environmental health at 858-505-6814.