The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a food safety alert Thursday after a salmonella outbreak affecting at least 117 people across dozens of states was linked to certain batches of both whole and pre-cut cantaloupes.
According to the agency’s alert notice, the outbreak has been linked to whole cantaloupes linked to two distributors, Malichita or Rudy, and pre-cut fruit products sold by retail chains including Aldi, Trader Joe’s and others between late October and November.
Several retailers and wholesalers have issued a recall for the affected fruits—or packaged cut fruit made from the affected batch—which have a Malichita or Rudy sticker with the number 4050.
According to the CDC, 117 people across 36 states have fallen ill due to the salmonella outbreak—leading to 61 hospitalizations and 2 deaths.
The outbreak has been reported across all regions and Minnesota is the worst hit with 14 cases.
The agency has urged facilities with people over the age of 65, children under five and people with weakened immune systems to avoid serving the recalled whole cantaloupes or any pre-cut cantaloupes if the source of the fruit is unknown.
CDC has also warned that washing the affected fruits does not make them safe to eat, advising businesses to not sell or serve the recalled cantaloupes.
14. That is the number of people living in long-term care facilities who have fallen ill due to the outbreak.
The number of cases may grow further as it may take 3-4 weeks to determine if a person’s illness is linked to the outbreak, the CDC says, adding that many might be reported as some will recover at home or not be tested for the pathogen. Some 18 new cases and 16 new hospitalizations were added to the list in the past week. Symptoms of a Salmonella infection include diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, high fever and dehydration. Most people recover within 4 to 7 days without treatment but severe cases may require hospitalization.
A salmonella outbreak linked to the same brand of cantaloupes had previously been flagged by Canadian authorities. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, 63 cases linked to the outbreak had been reported in the country as of last week.
