A Salmonella Carrau outbreak is linked to Caito Foods precut melons, and has sickened at least 93 people in 9 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Twenty-three people are hospitalized because their illnesses are so severe.
The patient case count by state is: Alabama (1), Illinois (5), Indiana (18), Kentucky (16), Michigan (19), Minnesota (3), Missouri (3), Ohio (27), and Wisconsin (1). Illness onset dates range from March 4, 2019 to March 31, 2019. The patient age range is from less than one to 98. No deaths have been reported in this outbreak.
Epidemiologic and traceback evidence indicate that precut melons supplied by Caito Foods are the likely source of this outbreak. Caito recalled a huge list of precut honeydew, cantaloupe, and watermelon products on April 12, 2019. These foods were distributed in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Public health investigators are using the PulseNet system to find people who may be part of this outbreak. Whole genome sequencing performed on isolates taken from ill persons has found that the pathogen is closely related, genetically. That means that people in this outbreak are likely to share a common source of infection. PulseNet identified this outbreak on April 2, 2019.
Investigators interviewed patients sickened in this Salmonella Carrau outbreak. Seventy-seven percent of respondents said they ate pre-cut melons purchased from grocery stores the week before they got sick. Those people told investigators where they shopped; traceback established that Caito Foods supplied precut melon to those stores.
You can contact Minneapolis food safety attorney Fred Pritzker for help by calling 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
Food safety attorney Fred Pritzker said, “Caito Foods was linked to a 2018 Salmonella Adelaide outbreak that sickened at least 77 people. These infections can cause serious long term health problems, including reactive arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome.”
Do not eat the recalled melons. If you have them in your home, throw them away immediately. If you aren’t sure whether or not you purchased these products, ask your grocer or just discard them. The outbreak notices are telling consumers to clean their fridge with a mild bleach solution to kill pathogens.
Symptoms of a Salmonella infection include a fever, abdominal cramps and pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that may be bloody or watery. These symptoms usually start 12 to 72 hours after a person eats food contaminated with the bacteria.
