The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are investigating a cucumber recall that has led to over 400 illnesses due to contamination with salmonella. The recall was first issued in late May, and by mid-August, people in 31 states and Washington, D.C. had become ill. The CDC investigation found that the salmonella strain in the outbreak was present in canal water used by a cucumber grower in Florida. The two main sources of the illnesses were Bedner Growers Inc. of Boynton Beach, Florida, and Thomas Produce Company of Boca Raton, Florida. However, their products do not account for all the illnesses in the outbreak.
In total, 449 people across 31 states fell ill in the salmonella outbreak linked to cucumbers, with 125 hospitalized. There have been no reported deaths. The affected products were shipped to distributors in late May and are no longer on shelves nor in season, so the public is believed to be at low risk at this time. People in 31 states have become ill because of the cucumber recall, including Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. Additionally, the cucumbers were distributed in West Virginia, but no illnesses have been reported there.
Salmonella is the most common form of bacterial food poisoning in the U.S., according to the Cleveland Clinic. Symptoms of an infection include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, as per the CDC. Adults over 65, children under 5, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness. The affected products from the recall are no longer on shelves, and there is likely no ongoing risk to the public, per the CDC. The investigation found that salmonella was present in canal water used by a cucumber grower in Florida, one of the possible sources of the outbreak. The risks of the outbreak are believed to be low at this time.
