Salmonella Oubreak Associated with Cucumbers....671 Affected and 3 Deaths

Update on Cucumber Salmonella Outbreak.....CDC now reports that

• Since the last update on September 22, 2015, 113 more ill people have been reported from 19 states. Given the 14-day shelf life of cucumbers, it is not unexpected to continue to see illnesses reported after the recalls.
• Alabama was added to the list of states with ill people, bringing the total number of states to 34.

This takes the total number of infected to 671 individuals, with 3 deaths.  Interesting, more than half of those infected, about 340, were children (<18 years old)

  

 

 

CDC Outbreak Notice

 http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/poona-09-15/

Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Poona Infections Linked to Imported Cucumbers

Read the Recall & Advice to Consumers, Restaurants, and Retailers >>(http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/poona-09-15/advice.html)

CDC, multiple states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Poona infections. This investigation is ongoing. CDC will provide updates when more information is available.

• 671 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Poona have been reported from 34 states, an increase of 113 cases since the last update on September 22.
• 131 ill people have been hospitalized, and three deaths have been reported from Arizona (1), California (1), and Texas (1).
• 51% of ill people are children younger than 18 years.
• It is not unexpected to continue to see illnesses reported after the recalls, for several reasons. It can take up to a week from the time people eat food contaminated with Salmonella before they get sick. Also, cucumbers have a shelf life of up to 14 days. Some people may not have known about the recall and eaten the contaminated cucumbers after the recall.

Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback investigations have identified cucumbers imported from Mexico and distributed by Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce as a likely source of the infections in this outbreak.

• Several recalls of cucumbers that may be contaminated with Salmonella have been announced as a result of this investigation.
• On September 11, 2015, Custom Produce Sales voluntarily recalled all cucumbers sold under the Fat Boy label starting August 1, 2015. Unlabeled cucumbers packed into a black reusable plastic container, and sold in Nevada since August 1, 2015, are also covered by this recall. These cucumbers were sent to Custom Produce Sales from Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce.
• On September 4, 2015, Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce voluntarily recalled all cucumbers sold under the “Limited Edition” brand label during the period from August 1, 2015 through September 3, 2015.
• Recalled cucumbers were distributed in the states of Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah. Further distribution to other states may have occurred.
• The type of cucumber that has been recalled is often referred to as a “slicer” or “American” cucumber and is dark green in color. Typical length is 7 to 10 inches. In retail locations the cucumbers are typically sold in a bulk display without any individual packaging or plastic wrapping.
• Photos of the packing cartons are available(http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/poona-09-15/advice.html).
• Consumers should not eat, restaurants should not serve, and retailers should not sell any of the recalled cucumbers.
• If you aren’t sure if your cucumbers were recalled, ask the place of purchase or your supplier. When in doubt, don’t eat, sell, or serve them and throw them out.
• CDC's National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System(http://www.cdc.gov/narms/index.html) laboratory conducted antibiotic resistance testing on clinical isolates collected from 6 ill people infected with the outbreak strains.
• All (100%) were susceptible to all antibiotics tested on the NARMS panel.
• CDC’s NARMS laboratory continues to conduct antibiotic resistance testing on additional isolates, and results will be reported when they are available.