A Salmonella outbreak in Washington state has been linked to Costco cucumbers that were sold in those stores in August and September, 2018. At least six people are sick in this outbreak. The outbreak notice did not state whether or not anyone has been hospitalized, the patient age range, or when the illnesses began. It also did not name the strain of Salmonella that has sickened people.
The case count by county is: King (1), Snohomish (1), Thurston (1), Yakima (2), and Pierce (1). All were sickened with the same strain of Salmonella bacteria.
Five of the six people sickened said they bought and ate Costco cucumbers English cucumbers from various stores in the state. These are English cucumbers that were sold in three-packs of individually wrapped cucumbers. If you purchased English cucumbers from Costco between August 18 and September 10, 2018, you should discard them.
This outbreak is serious because cucumbers are usually eaten raw without any further cooking. And the cucumber could cross-contaminate other raw produce, your refrigerator, and surfaces in the kitchen.
The outbreak notice did say that these illnesses are a reminder to wash fruits and vegetables before you prepare or eat them. All fruits and vegetables should be rinsed and scrubbed before peeling, because peeling could transfer bacteria to the flesh. Although you should know that washing produce is not a guarantee that all pathogens will be removed.
The symptoms of a Salmonella infection include fever, nausea, abdominal and stomach pains and cramps, and diarrhea that may be bloody. People typically get sick within 6 to 72 hours after consuming food that is contaminated with the pathogen.
If you ate English Costco cucumbers purchased in Washington state and have been ill with these symptoms, see your doctor. You may be part of this outbreak.
