A salmonella outbreak linked to a popular Kellogg's cereal has infected 100 people, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday. The agency is urging consumers to avoid Honey Smacks, a sugary puffed wheat cereal which has been the subject of a recall by the company since mid-June. At least 30 of the 100 have been hospitalized, while no deaths have been reported, the CDC said. "Do not eat Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal of any size package or with any 'best if used by' date," it wrote. "Do not eat this cereal," the CDC said bluntly in a tweet. RELATED: How often you should wash your bed sheets The agency has said that it has found Salmonella strains in unopened and leftover samples of Honey Smacks. Though the recall covers cereal with a best-by date of June 14, 2018, through June 14, 2019, the agency is recommending people avoid the cereal altogether. According to Reuters, the company recalled an estimated 1.3 million cases of the cereal but the FDA said Thursday that it believes the cereal is still being sold by some stores. "Retailers cannot legally offer the cereal for sale and consumers should not purchase Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal," it wrote. The cases have been reported in 33 states, including New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, California, Maryland and Virginia. According to the CDC, Salmonella is responsible for about 1.2 million illnesses, 23,000 hospitalizations, and 450 deaths a year, the majority of which are sourced from food. Symptoms for salmonella infection, which lasts about four to seven days, include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Kellogg Company, which did not respond to an immediate request for comment, launched an investigation into a third-party manufacturer who produces the cereal in mid-June after the infections were reported, according to the FDA. The FDA inspected the site and said that samples taken on the site matched the outbreak strain. The recall effort follows other prominent salmonella outbreaks, including one linked to pre-cut melon from an facility in Indianapolis that sickened 70 people and another connected to eggs from a single North Carolina producer where 45 people were made sick. Earlier this year, 210 people were infected by an E. coli outbreak that killed five people linked to romaine lettuce that had been grown in Arizona.<doc-sep>Marcus Smart Says He Has Heard Racist Remarks From Celtics Fans: 'It's Sad And Sickening'Asked about Kyrie Irving's comments about Boston fans, Celtics guard Marcus Smart said that he is hoping that the Boston crowd will treat all players -- whether they're in a Celtics or a Nets uniform -- with respect. Jayson Tatum Good To Go For Celtics-Nets Game 3Celtics forward Jayson Tatum practiced on Thursday and is good to go for Friday night's must-win Game 3 against the Brooklyn Nets. Jalen Mills Explains Why He Switched To No. 2 With PatriotsJalen Mills says switching to No. 2 is cool, but it also has a deeper meaning for the new Patriots defensive back. Long Snapper Joe Cardona On Playing For New England Patriots: 'I Never Thought I'd Be In The NFL'The Patriots long snapper says there is a different energy in the building knowing that fans will be returning to Gillette Stadium in the fall. Bruins-Islanders Game 1 Set For Saturday Night At TD GardenWe don't have a full series schedule just yet, but at least we know when the Bruins and the Islanders will begin their second-round series.<doc-sep>An outbreak of salmonella that has infected 73 people in 31 states has led investigators to a suspected culprit: Certain batches of Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal. The Kellogg Co. has recalled packages of the cereal that are either 15.3 ounces and 23 ounces in size and have a “best if used by” date -- printed on the top of the box – between June 14, 2018, to June 14, 2019. The CDC is urging people to throw away or return Honey Smacks cereals that fall under the recall. "Even if some of the cereal was eaten and no one got sick, throw the rest of it away or return it for a refund," the CDC said. "If you store cereal in a container without the packaging and don’t remember the brand or type, throw it away." “This is based on preliminary evidence linking the cereal to an outbreak of illnesses across the country, said Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb in an agency brief. "The FDA has already initiated an inspection of the facility that we believe is linked to the salmonella contamination. And we’ve worked with the company to immediately initiate a recall of this product.” “The main message is the consumer health risk, that this cereal may be infected with salmonella,” Gottlieb said. The CDC is working along with the FDA investigating the outbreak. Of the 73 people known to have been infected in this salmonella outbreak, at least 24 have been hospitalized, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). No deaths have been reported. People began falling ill in early March, with others becoming infected through the end of May, the CDC reports. More recent infections may not be known yet because it takes from two to four weeks for reporting of a salmonella-caused illness, the agency said. Those known to be infected range in age from infants to 87-year-olds. Nearly two-thirds, 65 percent, of people affected are women, the CDC said. Thirty-nine people with the illness were interviewed, and 30 of them reported eating cold cereal, with 14 of them recalling Honey Smacks in particular, the CDC said. People infected with this strand of salmonella, called salmonella mbandakas, typically get sick 12 to 72 hours after eating it. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and belly cramps, and can last from four to seven days. Most people recover on their own without medical treatment. But if the infection is severe, spreading to the blood stream and other parts of the body, it can require hospitalization. Now that there is an outbreak, it is important to contact a health care provider if someone falls ill after eating Kellogg’s’ Honey Smack cereal. The CDC is advising people to check the bottom of the cereal boxes for a UPC code. The smaller cereal box has a code of 3800039103 and the larger 3800014810. If you have those boxes in your house, throw them out, don’t eat them. General food-safety guidelines for protecting against salmonella poisoning include washing hands, kitchen work surfaces and utensils with soap and water immediately after they have been in contact with raw meat or poultry, the CDC said. Other guidance is to cook poultry, ground beef, and eggs thoroughly and not to eat or drink foods containing raw eggs, or raw (unpasteurized) milk. Dr. Sima Patel is a 3rd-year resident at the University of Minnesota, working with the ABC News Medical Unit.<doc-sep>
Story highlights New: All Kellogg Honey Smack cereal has been recalled Twenty-four of the sick patients have been been hospitalized; no deaths have been reported (CNN) — A salmonella outbreak that has caused illness in 73 people across 31 states is linked to Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. Just before the agency announced the outbreak, the Kellogg Co. announced a recall of 15.3-ounce and 23-ounce packages of the cereal with a “best if used by” date from June 14, 2018, through June 14, 2019, according to a statement. However, on Friday the US Food and Drug Administration expanded that recall. “The FDA is advising consumers to not eat and to discard any Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal. This is regardless of size or ‘best if used by’ dates. The recall notice accounts for all of the product that is on the market within the cereal’s estimated one year shelf-life. However, Honey Smacks products with earlier dates could also potentially be contaminated,” the agency website said. Twenty-four of the sick patients have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported, according to the CDC. New York has reported the highest number of cases – seven – while California, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania have each reported five cases. The other states involved in the outbreak have reported between one and four related illnesses. Shutterstock Kellogg has recalled some Honey Smacks cereal due to a salmonella outbreak. Health officials have identified Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal as the likely source of the outbreak, based on epidemiological evidence. As part of the outbreak investigation, 39 of the patients who became ill have been interviewed, and 30 reported eating cold cereal in the week before their symptoms began. Fourteen of them specifically said they ate Honey Smacks. The earliest reported symptoms in this outbreak began March 3, according to the CDC. Symptoms of salmonella include fever, diarrhea and abdominal pain that begins 12 to 72 hours after exposure to the bacteria. Most people recover in four to seven days. After the CDC and the US Food and Drug Administration contacted Kellogg’s about the reported illness, the company said it immediately launched an investigation with the third-party manufacturer that produces the cereal. Follow CNN Health on Facebook and Twitter See the latest news and share your comments with CNN Health on Facebook and Twitter. “The FDA’s staff has initiated an inspection at the facility that manufactures Kellogg’s Honey Smacks and is working quickly with the company to collect additional information,” the agency said in a statement. This is part of the ongoing investigation as the CDC, the FDA, state and local health officials work together in an effort to identify the source of the contamination. They were sold by retailers in the United States, including Guam and Saipan. Outside of the United States, the cereal was distributed in Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten, the Bahamas, Barbados, Tortola, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, and Tahiti. Retailers have been advised not to sell the recalled cereal, and consumers should throw away or return any Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal without eating it.