Recalled cucumbers in salmonella outbreak behind 449 illnesses, CDC says
An outbreak of salmonella linked to recalled cucumbers has sickened 449 people in 31 states and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in an update.
The CDC is among the federal and state agencies investigating the outbreak, determining that cucumbers contaminated with salmonella made people sick. As of July 2, 449 people had been infected with one of two outbreak strains, with 125 hospitalized, according to a post on Wednesday by the agency.
People stricken in the outbreak reside in the District of Columbia and the following states:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio, Oklahoma
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
That said, the true number of sick people is likely much higher than reported, as many recover without seeking medical help and are therefore never tested for salmonella, the CDC noted.
Two Florida growers have been identified as likely sources of some but not all of the illnesses: Bedner Growers of Boynton Beach and Thomas Produce of Boca Raton, the CDC stated. One of multiple salmonella strains identified in the outbreak was detected in untreated canal water used by Thomas Produce, and additional ones were detected in soil and water collected at the farms of both, the agency said. Their cucumbers are no longer in season nor on store shelves.
According to a notice published June 1, 2024, by the Food and Drug Administration, Fresh Start Produce Sales of Delray, Florida, recalled whole cucumbers shipped to retail distribution centers, wholesalers and food service distributors in 14 states.
The recall came after the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture told the company a product sample tested positive for salmonella, Fresh Start stated at the time.
The organism can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in the young, frail or elderly.
Healthy people infected with salmonella can experience symptoms including fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, the bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause more severe infections.
Salmonella bacteria cause about 1.35 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths in the United States every year, with food being the source for most of the illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most people recover without specific treatment and should not take antibiotics, the CDC noted.