The deadly Salmonella outbreak linked to Maradol papayas imported from Mexico has hit the Hispanic population disproportionately hard. As of last week, at least 235 people in 24 states are sick in this outbreak, which is actually a group of four separate outbreaks caused by eight different strains of Salmonella.
According to the CDC, the percentage of Hispanics in each group ranges from 50% to 94%. The outbreak strains of Salmonella have been found in imported papayas. They match the strains taken from patient isolates.
The outbreaks are separated based on the farms where the papayas were grown. Those farms are the Carica de Campeche farm in Mexico, with papayas contaminated with Salmonella Thompson, Salmonella Kiambu, Salmonella Agona, and Salmonella Gaminara; the Rancho El Ganadero farm in Colima, Mexico, distributed by Caraveo Produce, with the fruit contaminated with Salmonella Newport and Salmonella Infantis; the El Zapotanito farm in La Huerta, Mexico with papayas contaminated with Salmonella Urbana; and papayas from Productores y Exportadores de Carica Papaya de Tecoman y Costa Alegre in Tijuana, Mexico imported by Bravo Produce Inc., contaminated with Salmonella Anatum. All of those papayas have been recalled.
Moreover, the hospitalization rate in this outbreak is very high. The hospitalization rate ranges from 40% to 67%. No official has stated why this is the case, but there could be several reasons. The fruit may have been very contaminated with a lot of bacteria. The bacteria may be resistant to one or more antibiotics. Or the bacteria could be especially virulent.
The symptoms of a Salmonella infection include fever, diarrhea that may be bloody, vomiting, nausea, and abdominal cramps. Most people get sick within 12 to 72 hours after eating food contaminated with this pathogenic bacteria. If you purchased Maradol papayas imported from Mexico and have experienced these symptoms, please see your doctor.
If you belong to a Hispanic population, or if you know someone who does, please share this information with them. You can find Spanish translations of the CDC’s outbreak coverage at the CDC website.
Pritzker Hageman law firm is a national company that helps those sickened by contaminated food get answers, compensation, and justice. Our attorneys represent patients and families of children in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits against grocery stores, daycare centers, food producers and processors, restaurants, and retailers. Attorney Fred Pritzker and his team recently won $7.5 million for a young client whose kidneys failed after he developed hemolytic uremic syndrome as a result of an E. coli infection. It’s important to remember that class action lawsuits may not be appropriate for outbreak victims because each case is so unique.
