The deadly Salmonella cantaloupe outbreak has sickened at least 359 people and killed eight in the United States and Canada. As of December 7, 2023, there are 129 laboratory confirmed cases in Canada, and 230 illnesses in the United States. In the U.S., 96 patients have been hospitalized and there are three deaths: two in Minnesota and one in Oregon. In Canada, 44 patients are hospitalized and there are five deaths. The outbreak has been growing very quickly. Cases doubled in the United States in one week, and in Canada, they more than doubled in that time span. The case count by state in the U.S. is: Alaska (1), Arkansas (1), Arizona (15), California (8), Colorado (8), Georgia (3), Iowa (5), Illinois (11), Indiana (5), Kansas (2), Kentucky (7), Massachusetts (1), Maryland (2), … [Read more...]
Minnesota Wisconsin Illinois Hardest Hit by Cantaloupe Outbreak
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Texas, Missouri, and Arizona are the states that are the hardest hit in the deadly cantaloupe Salmonella outbreak. Minnesota has the most cases with 20, and two deaths. Wisconsin is next with 18 patients, Texas has 16, Arizona 15, Missouri has 14 patients, and Illinois has 11. In all, there are at least 230 people sick in 38 states. Ninety-six people have been hospitalized, and there are three deaths reported: Two in Minnesota, and one in Oregon. The case count by state is: Alaska (1), Arkansas (1), Arizona (15), California (8), Colorado (8), Georgia (3), Iowa (5), Illinois (11), Indiana (5), Kansas (2), Kentucky (7), Massachusetts (1), Maryland (2), Michigan (2), Minnesota (20), Missouri (14), Mississippi (1), Montana (2), North Carolina (4), … [Read more...]
Cantaloupe Salmonella Cases Almost Double to 230 Sick
Cantaloupe Salmonella cases have almost doubled, according to the CDC, to 230 sick, an increase of 113 new cases since the last update was issued on November 30, 2023. One new death has been reported, 96 people are hospitalized, and there are four new states in the case count total. The case count by state is: Alaska (1), Arkansas (1), Arizona (15), California (8), Colorado (8), Georgia (3), Iowa (5), Illinois (11), Indiana (5), Kansas (2), Kentucky (7), Massachusetts (1), Maryland (2), Michigan (2), Minnesota (20), Missouri (14), Mississippi (1), Montana (2), North Carolina (4), Nebraska (7), New Jersey (3), New Mexico (2), Nevada (5), New York (7), Ohio (8), Oklahoma (3), Oregon (5), Pennsylvania (5), Rhode Island (1), South Carolina (6), South Dakota (1), Tennessee (5), Texas … [Read more...]
Lead Contaminated Cinnamon in WanaBana Fruit Puree Pouches
Lead contaminated cinnamon in WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches is the most likely cause of lead poisoning cases in children, according to the FDA. There are at least 57 children in 26 states who are likely sick with acute lead poisoning. That is an increase of five more cases since the last update that was issued on November 22, 2023. The case count by state is: Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), California (1), Connecticut (1), Florida (1), Georgia (2) Iowa (1), Illinois (2), Kentucky (3), Louisiana (4), Massachusetts (3), Maryland (4), Michigan (3), Missouri (1), North Carolina (5), Nebraska (1), New Hampshire (1), New Mexico (1), New York (8), Ohio (2), Pennsylvania (1), South Carolina (2), Tennessee (1), Texas (3) Virginia (1), and Washington (3). The children are less than … [Read more...]
Now 52 Kids Sick with Wanabana Applesauce Lead Poisoning
There are now 52 kids sick with Wanabana Applesauce lead poisoning, according to the FDA. That is an increase of 18 more cases in the last five days. And the government says that recalled WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Puree is still on the shelves at several Dollar Tree stores in "multiple states." This product should not be for sale and consumers should not buy this product. As of November 22, 2023, there are 52 reports of adverse events submitted to the FDA that are potentially linked to this recalled product. And the FDA says there are still incoming adverse event reports. The case count by state is: Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), California (1), Connecticut (1), Florida (1), Georgia (2) Iowa (1), Illinois (2), Kentucky (2), Louisiana (4), Massachusetts (2), Maryland (3), Michigan (3), … [Read more...]
Malichita Cantaloupe Salmonella Sundsvall Outbreak Sickens 43
A Malichita cantaloupe Salmonella Sundsvall outbreak has sickened at least 43 people in 15 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Seventeen people have been hospitalized because they are so sick, for a hospitalization rate of 39%, which is high for this type of outbreak. The cantaloupes in question are the Malichita brand that have been recalled. The case count by state is: Arizona (7), California (1), Georgia (2), Illinois (4), Kentucky (3), Maryland (1), Minnesota (5), Missouri (5), Nebraska (4), Ohio (1), Oklahoma (1), Texas (3), Virginia (1), Washington (1), and Wisconsin (4). The patient age range is from 1 to 100 years. Illness onset dates range from October 17, 2023 to November 6, 2023. The true number of sick people in this outbreak is … [Read more...]
Houston Cyclospora Outbreak Linked to Fort Bend/Harris County
A Houston cyclospora outbreak is linked to a few gatherings in the Fort Bend/Harris county area, according to health officials. No case count numbers or illness onset dates were provided in this update. Dr. Ericka Brown, Deputy Local Health Authority for Harris County Public Health said that cyclospora infections are typically transmitted via raw fruits and vegetables. This infection cannot be passed person-to-person, because the oocyst must mature in the environment after it is expelled in feces. She said, "Cyclospora is actually a normal seasonal bug that we see ... around April of May and last through about August." Until 2016, most cyclospora cases were associated with travel to tropical areas, where this parasites is endemic. Officials are investigating to see whether … [Read more...]
CDC Reports on Domestically Acquired Cyclospora Cases
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting an update on the domestically acquired cyclospora outbreak with illness onset on or after April 2023. In the past few years there have been large cyclospora outbreaks in the United States during the summer months. People usually get sick by eating contaminated fresh produce. Outbreak Numbers "Domestically acquired" is an important distinction, since it used to be that people contracted this parasite when they traveled outside the United States to tropical regions, and ate contaminated produce. That is no longer the case, as of 2019. Last year there were at least 1,129 cases of cyclosporiasis in the U.S. There are at least 97 people sick in 16 states. Sixteen people have been hospitalized. The case count by state … [Read more...]
Shigellosis Outbreak in Lavaca County, Texas Announced
A shigellosis outbreak in Lavaca County, Texas has been announced by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Officials are investigating this outbreak. No source of the pathogen has been declared and there is no mention of how many people are sick or if anyone has been hospitalized. There is also no patient age range mentioned. Officials are interviewing patients and are collecting food samples from a location where "multiple individuals" ate before they got sick. The last Shigella outbreak in the United States was linked to Tamarind Tree in Seattle, Washington earlier this year. At least 32 people were sickened in that outbreak. This bacteria causes about a half million illnesses in the United States every year. This infection is highly contagious and is spread through … [Read more...]
FDA Warning Letter to Smuckers Over Jif Peanut Butter Outbreak
An FDA warning letter sent to the Smuckers corporation about the Jif peanut butter Salmonella Senftenberg outbreak details serious violations of the law, including Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food. Jif peanut butter was linked to an outbreak in the first part of 2022 that sickened at least 21 people in 17 states. Four people were hospitalized. All peanut butter manufactured at the J.M. Smucker facility in Lexington, Kentucky from October 1, 2021 to May 20, 2022 was recalled after the outbreak was announced. The warning letter states, "the evidence establishes that you introduced adulterated peanut butter into interstate commerce as prohibited by section 301(a) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the … [Read more...]
