The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating two separate outbreaks of salmonella that have sickened more than 300 people across the United States.
The CDC announced on Wednesday that 162 people in 25 states — including Texas — and the District of Columbia had fallen ill due to infection with the Salmonella Africana strain. Of those patients, 54 were hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported.
Nearly three-fourths of the infected patients who were interviewed reported eating cucumbers in the days preceding their illness, and testing identified salmonella in cucumbers collected as part of the investigation. However, the cucumbers have not been definitively identified as the source of the outbreak, and the investigation is ongoing.
Due to the discovery of the contaminated produce, Fresh Start Produce issued a recall on May 31 of its cucumbers grown in Florida and shipped to retail distribution centers and wholesalers in 14 states between May 17 and May 21. The receivers may have repackaged and shipped to additional states. The recall does not include English or mini cucumbers.
The grower that supplied the cucumbers is no longer growing or harvesting cucumbers for the remainder of the season.
The second outbreak reported by the CDC is linked to the Salmonella Braenderup strain, with 158 illnesses reported in 23 states. The CDC and FDA noted several similarities between the two outbreaks, “including where and when illnesses occurred and the demographics of ill people. Investigators are working to determine whether the two outbreaks could be linked to the same food vehicle,” per an update on the FDA website.
Symptoms of salmonella infection, which include fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps, may appear within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food and may last for four to seven days. Young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe infections.
