Cavi papayas from Agroson’s LLC are now linked to the Salmonella Uganda outbreak that was just announced by the CDC. Now 71 people in 8 states are sick. Twenty-seven people have been hospitalized because they are so ill.
The patient case count by state is: Connecticut (14), Florida (1), Massachusetts (5), New Jersey (18), New York (27), Pennsylvania (4), Rhode Island (1), and Texas (1). Illness onset dates range from January 14, 1029 through June 16, 2019. The patient age range is from less than 1 year to 90.
Of 45 people who have provided information to investigators, 60% have been hospitalized. This is three times the hospitalization rate in a typical Salmonella outbreak. This particular strain of Salmonella Uganda is resistant to several antibiotics, which may explain the hospitalizations.
Epidemiologic and traceback evidence indicates that Cavi papayas imported from Mexico are one likely source of this outbreak. FDA and other officials collected records from grocery stores where patients said they bought papayas. Cavi brand papayas were sold at multiple stores where they shopped. And Cavi brand papayas distributed by Agroson’s LLC of the Bronx, New York, would have been available for purchase by patients in the time frame before they got sick.
The CDC update states that “With the exception of Cavi brand whole, fresh papayas, consumers no longer need to avoid papayas imported from Mexico.” If you aren’t sure whether or not any whole, fresh papayas you purchased are the Cavi brand, don’t eat them. Throw the fruit away, even if some of it has been eaten and no one has gotten sick.
You can contact food safety attorney Fred Pritzker for help if you think you are part of this outbreak by calling 1-888-377-8900.
In addition, don’t eat fruit salads or other fruit mixes that include any Cavi brand papayas. Ask your retailer if he or she carried this brand of papaya.
If you did purchase some of this brand, after you discard the fruit, wash and sanitize the places where you stored it: countertops, refrigerators, refrigerator drawers, and shelves. Follow these steps to clean your fridge.
Symptoms of a Salmonella infection include fever, chills, nausea, upset stomach, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea that may be bloody. People usually get sick within a few days after eating food contaminated with this pathogen. If you have eaten fresh whole papayas and have been ill with these symptoms, see your doctor. You may be part of this outbreak.
