Texas leads the nation in salmonella cases. Here's how to track the outbreak amid onion recalls.

The CDC is warning consumers that onions from the state of Chihuahua in northern Mexico should be discarded. The announcement comes as a salmonella outbreak that was first reported in mid-September by the agency has grown to sicken more than 600 people in 37 states as of Oct. 21.

Texas leads the nation with 158 salmonella cases as of this writing, nearly a quarter of all active cases nationwide. Neighboring Oklahoma had 98 cases.

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"The true number of sick people in an outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses," the CDC said. "This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella."

Here's what we know about the outbreak and how you can track current outbreaks:

The CDC says red, white and yellow onions that were imported from the area and distributed to grocery stores and restaurants by ProSource Inc. of Hailey, Idaho should be tossed out.

Officials are also advising consumers not to buy onions that lack information about their sourcing, like a sticker or packaging.

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"If you can't tell where the onions are from, don't buy or eat them," the CDC said.

ProSource has said it will recall onions imported between July 1 and Aug. 27.

According to the CDC, imported onions can last up to three months in storage.

In short, it's risky.

Eating onion raw is the most likely way to contract salmonella, but the director of food and safety and research at Consumer Reports says cooking them carries the potential for transmission.

"There's always the concern of cross-contamination from your hands, cooking surfaces, or any surfaces the onions touched," Dr. James Rogers said.

Rogers also said that if you think you cooked with a contaminated onion, wash surfaces that the onion made contact with with hot soapy water.

The CDC says people infected with salmonella can develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps after being exposed.

The illness can last as long as a week. Most people recover without treatment, but some may people may need to be hospitalized, particularly those with weaker immune systems, such as young children or adults age 65 and older.

In an Oct. 20 report, the CDC said the median age of people with salmonella was 37-years-old. The agency said 57% of patients were female.

More than 30% of people tracked in the outbreak have been hospitalized. No deaths due to salmonella have been reported.

Track the latest updates by state on the CDC's map here.

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