Health officials in San Diego County have linked an outbreak of Salmonella to raw eggs from Happy Hens, a Ramona-based poultry farm.
The outbreak has sickened at least 21 people, including 7 who were hospitalized. The case-count has grown since the county first reported the outbreak on July 28, when there were 13 cases.
Investigators tracked the cluster of illnesses to mayonnaise that had raw, unpasteurized eggs from Happy Hens. The mayonnaise was served to customers at Ramona Family Naturals Market.
According to the county’s earlier report on July 28, the mayonnaise was used in several items at the store deli:
“People who ate food purchased at Ramona Family Naturals Market or its deli and develop symptoms should contact their healthcare provider. The mayo was used in chicken salads and in the Ramona Red Sauce, which is used on sandwiches and is also sold by the bottle. Anyone who purchased the mayonnaise should throw it away.
The illnesses date back to June 21, 2026. In the first group of 13 cases, the people who got sick ranged in age between 27 and 60 years old.
The owners of Happy Hens have publicly disagreed with the county’s findings, saying: “They’ve publicly announced this information, 100% unfounded, not a shred of evidence, not a shred of testing done.”
Happy Hens has not recalled any eggs and the investigation is ongoing for now.
San Diego County’s Department of Environmental Health and Quality said it has reached out to retailers and markets where eggs from Happy Hens may have been sold.
Health officials also noted that the strain of Salmonella is not related to the multistate outbreak linked to shell eggs in the Midwest, which has sickened 98 people.
Anyone who believes they may have been sickened in this outbreak is encouraged to report their illness to the County Department of Environmental Health and Quality. You can contact the county by calling 858-505-6814 or by emailing a completed form to fhdepi@sdcounty.ca.gov.
Source: Ramona Salmonella Outbreak Grows | San Diego County News Center