The deadly Salmonella cantaloupe outbreak has now sickened at least 302 people in 42 states, with 129 hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That’s an increase of 72 more patients, 33 new hospitalizations, and four new states since the last update a week ago. And one more person, who lived in Minnesota, has died.
The case count by state is: Alaska (1), Arkansas (1), Arizona (14), California (14), Colorado (9), Connecticut (2), Florida (1), Georgia (6), Iowa (8), Illinois (18), Indiana (7), Kansas (2), Kentucky (8), Massachusetts (2), Maryland (6), Michigan (6), Minnesota (26), Missouri (15), Mississippi (1), Montana (2), North Carolina (6), Nebraska (7), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (6), New Mexico (2), Nevada (5), New York (10), Ohio (13), Oklahoma (4), Oregon (6), Pennsylvania (5), Rhode Island (1), South Carolina (9), South Dakota (1), Tennessee (5), Texas (23), Utah (11), Virginia (7), Washington (4), Wisconsin (22), West Virginia (3), and Wyoming (1). The new states are Connecticut, Florida, New Hampshire, and Wyoming,
The patient age range is from less than one to 100. Illness onset dates range from October 16, 2023 to November 28, 2023. Four deaths are reported; three in Minnesota and one in Oregon.
Investigators interviewed patients about what they ate before they got sick. Of 145 people interviewed, 74% said they ate cantaloupe. And of 107 people who said they ate cantaloupe, 56 specifically reported eating precut cantaloupe. Forty patients live in long term care facilities, and 30 children who attended childcare centers are sick.
Food Safety Attorney and Food Poisoning Bulletin Publisher Eric Hageman
Noted food safety lawyer Eric Hageman, who has successfully represented many clients in Salmonella lawsuits, said, “This is one of the fastest foodborne illness outbreaks we have ever seen. And the high hospitalization rate and reported deaths indicate that the cantaloupe may be highly contaminated. Please, if you have cantaloupe in your home, especially precut cantaloupe, do not eat it unless you are positive it is not one of the recalled varieties.”
Many primary and secondary recalls of cantaloupe and products made with cantaloupe have been issued in connection with this outbreak. And new recalls are being issued every week.
The true number of patients in this outbreak is likely much higher than the total reported. Many people do not go to the doctor when they get sick with Salmonella infections. And the outbreak may grow to include more states. It can take up to a month for cases to be reported, since a few weeks is required for test results to come back.
It’s also important to note that the multiplier for Salmonella outbreaks is 30.3. That means that there are likely 30 times more people sick than the case counts indicate: there could be more than 9,000 patients in this particular outbreak.
The recalled cantaloupe is imported from Mexico by Sofia Produce, doing business as Trufresh. The fruit may have a sticker that says, “Malichita,” or “Rudy,” with the number 4050. The cantaloupe and related products were sold nationwide at stores including Kroger, ALDI, Kwik Trip, Stop & Shop, Trader Joe’s, and Sprouts Farmers Market, among others.
Symptoms of a Salmonella infection usually appear within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food, but some people may not get sick for a week. Patients usually experience fever, chills, headache, nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, abdominal pain nd cramps, and diarrhea that may be bloody..
If you have eaten cantaloupe and have been ill with these symptoms, see your doctor. You may be part of this deadly Salmonella cantaloupe outbreak.
If you or a loved one have been sickened with a Salmonella food poisoning infection after eating cantaloupe, please contact our experienced attorneys for help with a possible lawsuit at 1-888-377-8900 or text us at 612-261-0856. Our firm represents clients in lawsuits against grocery stores, restaurants, and food processors, and families in wrongful death cases.
