A new Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak has been added to the FDA's CORE Outbreak Table, joining four other outbreaks under active investigation. Three of the outbreaks are unsolved. The new Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak has sickened at least 47 people. No food has been linked to this outbreak yet. The FDA has not yet initiated traceback, initiated inspections, or collected samples for testing. The outbreak linked to Diamond Shruumz microdosing chocolates remains unchanged, with 26 people in 16 states ill from an unknown pathogen or toxin. Sixteen of those patients have been hospitalized. No recall has been issued by the company. The Salmonella Braenderup outbreak has sickened at least 185 people. We don't know the states where the patients live, illness onset dates, the … [Read more...]
Cucumber Salmonella Outbreak Case Count Rises to 196
The cucumber Salmonella outbreak case count has risen to 196 sick in 28 states and the District of Columbia, according to the CDC, but there's a twist in the investigation. Officials did find Salmonella bacteria in cucumber samples, but it was Salmonella Bareilly, not the Salmonella Africana or possibly Salmonella Braenderup that has sickened patients. The case count by state is: Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), Connecticut (2), Delaware (1), District of Columbia (1), Florida (22), Georgia (16), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Iowa (3), Kentucky (5), Maine (2), Maryland (3), Massachusetts (5), Michigan (5), Minnesota (5), Missouri (1), New Jersey (5), New York (23), North Carolina (7), Ohio (10), Pennsylvania (29), Rhode Island (4), South Carolina (11), Tennessee (10), Texas (2), Vermont (1), … [Read more...]
New Salmonella Braenderup Outbreak Added to CORE Table
A new Salmonella Braenderup outbreak has been added to the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table. This brings the total outbreaks currently being investigated to six. The new Salmonella Braenderup outbreak has sickened at least 158 people. FDA has initiated traceback. In the outbreak investigation of Salmonella Africana that is allegedly linked to cucumbers, this outbreak is mentioned and may also be linked to that vegetable because the two outbreaks are similar. The outbreak linked to Diamond Shruumz Microdosing Chocolate Bars has sickened at least eight people in four states. Six of those patients have been hospitalized. The government has not yet determined what chemical, drug, or pathogen is making people sick. The Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that has sickened at … [Read more...]
FDA Weighs In On Cucumber Salmonella Outbreak
The FDA is weighing in on the cucumber Salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 162 people in 25 states and the District of Columbia. Fresh Start Produce Sales has recalled cucumbers that were grown in Florida and distributed to wholesalers, food service distributors, and retail distribution centers in these states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia from May 17th through May 21st, 2024. This product should no longer be available for consumers to purchase in stores. The case count by state is: Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), Connecticut (2), Delaware (1), District of Columbia (1), Florida (18), Georgia (8), Indiana (1), Iowa (3), Kentucky (4), Maine (1), … [Read more...]
Cucumber Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 162 in 25 States
A cucumber Salmonella outbreak has sickened at least 162 people in 25 states and the District of Columbia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Fresh Start Produce cucumbers are implicated in this outbreak. The strain of Salmonella is Salmonella Africana. CDC and FDA are also investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Braenderup infections, with 158 illnesses in 23 states. The two outbreaks are similar, including where and when illnesses occurred and the demographics. Investigators are working to determine whether the two outbreaks could be linked to the same food. The case count by state is: Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), Connecticut (2), Delaware (1), District of Columbia (1), Florida (18), Georgia (8), Indiana (1), Iowa (3), Kentucky (4), Maine (1), … [Read more...]
Have Cucumbers Caused Outbreaks in the Past?
In the wake of the recall of Fresh Start cucumbers for possible Salmonella contamination, have cucumbers caused outbreaks in the past? Yes, they have, and some have been deadly. The FDA is conducting testing to see if the cucumbers are related to an ongoing Salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than 100 people. In 2013, a Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak linked to imported cucumbers sickened at least 84 people in 18 states. Illness onset dates range from January 12, 2023 to April 28, 2024. Twenty-eight percent of patients were hospitalized. In 2015 and 2016, a huge Salmonella Poona outbreak linked to cucumbers sickened at least 907 people in 40 states. There were 204 people hospitalized, and six deaths were reported, even though the Salmonella infection wasn't considered a … [Read more...]
Fresh Start Whole Cucumbers Recalled For Possible Salmonella
Fresh Start whole cucumbers are being recalled for possible Salmonella contamination. The FDA states, "The FDA is conducting whole genome sequencing to determine if this sample is related to an ongoing Salmonella outbreak investigation." The recalling firm is Fresh Start Produce Sales of Delray, Florida. There is a Salmonella Africana outbreak on the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table with 141 people sick. The FDA publicly announced on June 5th that they have opened an outbreak investigation connected to Fresh Start cucumbers. The cucumbers were shipped in bulk cartons from May 17 through May 21, 2024, directly to retail food distribution centers, wholesalers, and food service distributors in these states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, New … [Read more...]
CDC Releases Info About Another Cucumber Salmonella Outbreak, 8 Months Later
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued information about a Salmonella Oslo outbreak linked to Persian cucumbers this week in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. But the outbreak happened eight months ago. Public health officials in Minnesota and Michigan started an investigation when four people were sickened with Salmonella Oslo infections that occurred March 21 to April 9, 2016. A total of 14 people in 8 states were identified as being part of this outbreak at the end of the investigation. Whole genome sequencing and pulsed gel-electrophoresis identified the outbreak strain of Salmonella Oslo, which was new to the PulseNet database. Epidemiologic evidence found that Persian cucumbers were the source of infections in this outbreak. Persian, or "mini" … [Read more...]
FDA Begins Testing Cucumbers and Hot Peppers
The FDA is ramping up testing of cucumbers and hot peppers, after six reports of food poisoning outbreaks linked to cucumbers from 1996 to this year. Those foods are eaten raw, and they are often contaminated. Produce can be contaminated in several ways. It can come into contact with polluted water, or dirty equipment during growing, harvesting, and post-harvest production. Ill workers who harvest and sort the produce by hand can also contaminate it. The government is seeking information on the prevalence of Salmonella and E. coli O157:H76 on fresh cucumbers. There is currently a Salmonella outbreak linked to slicer cucumbers imported from Mexico by Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce. The CDC reports that 838 people in 38 states have been sickened in the past two months. Fresh … [Read more...]
Cucumber Salmonella Outbreak Grows Again, 767 Sick
At least 767 people in 36 states are now part of the Salmonella outbreak linked to imported cucumbers. Since the last update on October 6, the outbreak has expanded to a new state, Florida, and 35 new cases from 14 states have been added. There have been four deaths and 157 hospitalizations. About 50 percent of those sickened are children under 18. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) say the outbreak, which they have linked to cucumbers imported from Mexico and distributed by Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce, is ongoing. Two cucumber recalls have been issued. The first, on September 4, 2015, by Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce for cucumbers sold under the “Limited Edition” brand label during the period from … [Read more...]
