Illinois has been hard hit by the cantaloupe Salmonella outbreak that has sickened 204 people in 22 states, according to the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Illinois residents account for about 12 percent of all reported cases nationwide. So far, 24 people from 11 counties in that state have confirmed cases of Salmonella poisoning. And at least eight of them had cases so severe that they needed to be hospitalized.
The tainted cantaloupes were grown on Chamberlain Farms Produce, Inc. of Owensville, Indiana and were distributed throughout the country. Retailers who reported removing cantaloupes from their shelves include Walmart, Krogers, Schnucks, Meijer and Marsh.
“Illinois consumers should check for and ask about the origin of recently purchased cantaloupe, and discard any cantaloupe grown in southwestern Indiana,” said Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. “Anyone who becomes ill after eating cantaloupes grown in southwestern Indiana should seek medical attention immediately.”
Symptoms of a Salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps developing 12 to 72 hours after exposure and lasting up to seven days. For some people, the diarrhea may be so severe that hospitalization is required. Those most at risk include older adults, infants, and those with impaired immune systems. Infections that travel from the GI tract to the bloodstream can be fatal id they are not treated quickly with antibiotics. In this outbreak 78 people have been hospitalized, and two people from Kentucky have died.
Case counts by state are as follows: Alabama (13), Arkansas (5), California (2), Florida (1), Georgia (4), Illinois (24), Indiana (22), Iowa (8), Kentucky (63), Massachusetts (2), Michigan (6), Minnesota (5), Mississippi (5), Missouri (13), New Jersey (2), North Carolina (5), Ohio (5), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (3), Tennessee (8), Texas (2), and Wisconsin (4).
