Whole genome sequencing of patient samples from a multistate Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak linked to Texas eggs predicted that the bacteria in all 98 cases were nonsusceptible to ciprofloxacin and resistant to nalidixic acid, two drugs tied to the antibiotic class most often used when a Salmonella infection turns severe.
That finding has drawn far less attention than the recall itself, and it is the part with lasting relevance. The recalled cartons are long gone from refrigerators, since the last sell-by dates passed in mid-August. The strain, which the CDC says is related to one previously found in chicken, eggs, and backyard poultry, is still circulating from at least one source investigators have not identified.
