The number one outbreak of 2023 is the deadly cantaloupe Salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 302 people in 42 states in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Four people are dead; one lived in Oregon and three lived in Minnesota. The cantaloupes were imported from Mexico by Sofia Produce doing business as Trufresh.
The case count by state as of December 15, 2023 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 patient age range is from less than one to 100. Illness onset dates range from October 16, 2023 to November 28, 2023. One hundred twenty nine patients have been hospitalized.
Many recalls, of the whole fruit and of products made with this cantaloupe, have been issued over the past weeks. Please look at this list carefully to see if you bought any of these products. If you did, discard them. The cantaloupe is all past sell by dates, but some people may have frozen it for later use. That fruit is not safe to eat.
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 and wrongful death cases, said, “This outbreak is still growing at an alarming rate. If you aren’t completely sure that the cantaloupe you have purchased is not recalled, do not eat it. It’s simply not worth the risk to your health.”
The brands of cantaloupe that are recalled are Malichita and Rudy. The whole fruit may have had stickers with the number 4050.
The actual number of people who are sick in this outbreak is likely much higher than that reported. Epidemiologists use a multiplier number to estimate the true number of cases in Salmonella outbreaks. It is 30.3, since many people are not diagnosed since they don’t see a doctor. That means there could be more than 9,000 people sick in this particular outbreak.
Symptoms of a Salmonella food poisoning infection typically start within 12 to 72 hours, although some people may not get sick for a week. People usually suffer from fever, headache, chills, nausea, vomiting, stomach and abdominal pain and cramps, and diarrhea that may be bloody. Long term complications from this infection can include endocarditis, irritable bowel syndrome, reactive arthritis, and high blood pressure.
If you ate cantaloupe or products made with cantaloupe and have been ill with these symptoms, see your doctor. You may be part of this deadly cantaloupe Salmonella outbreak.
If you or a loved one have been sickened with a Listeria monocytogenes food poisoning infection, please contact our experienced Minnesota 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.
