The Salmonella Concord Karawan Tahini outbreak has ended after sickening six people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Those patients live in three states.
The patient case count by state is: Massachusetts (1), New York (4), and Texas (1). Illness onset dates ranged from March 9, 2019 to May 2, 2019. The patient age range is from 8 to 33 years. One patient was hospitalized because their illness was so severe.
Public health officials used the PulseNet system to find people who may have been part of this outbreak. Whole genome sequencing performed on isolates from these patients showed that they were closely related genetically. That means the people in this outbreak were more likely to share a common source of infection.
Epidemiologic, traceback, and laboratory evidence indicated the Karawan brand tahini products were the likely source of this outbreak. Eighty percent of patients interviewed said they ate tahini or hummus made with tahini before they got sick.
Investigators with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene collected records and food samples ate restaurants where these patients ate. Records showed that the tahini used at those restrains was Karawan. The outbreak strain of Salmonella Concord was isolated from opened and sealed containers of Karawan brand tahini collected at one of the restaurants. And whole genome sequencing showed that the bacteria from the tahini was closely related genetically to the the Salmonella from the patients.
Brodt Zenatti Holding of Jupiter, Florida recalled Karawan and SoCo brand tahini products on several dates. Restaurant should not serve, and consumers should not eat, recalled tahini that is labeled as Karawan Tahini, El-Karawan Tahini, or SoCo Tahini. This outbreak is not related to another multistate outbreak of Salmonella Concord infections linked to Achdut Tahini that occurred earlier this year.
If you have eaten any of these tahini products and have been ill with the symptoms of Salmonella, which include fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea that may be bloody, see your doctor. You may be part of this Salmonella Concord Karawan tahini outbreak.
