CDC: 671 cases of Salmonella from cucumbers
The agency said given the 14-day shelf life it is not unexpected to continue to see illnesses reported after the recalls.
Salmonella Poona has been reported from 34 states, with 131 hospitalizations and three deaths.
Import alert for Mexican producer
Investigations have identified cucumbers from Rancho Don Juanito de R.L. de C.V. in Baja, Mexico and distributed by Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce as a likely source.
Andrew and Williamson said it will make a donation to STOP Foodborne Illness in support of efforts to create an educational packet about foodborne illness.
The FDA issued an Import Alert in mid-September for cucumbers from Rancho Don Juanito based on identifying Salmonella in cucumbers through import sampling of the farm’s cucumbers.
In the latest update, Alabama was added to the list of states with ill people.
The number of ill people reported from each state is: Alabama (1), Alaska (13), Arizona (112), Arkansas (9), California (164), Colorado (17), Hawaii (1), Idaho (22), Illinois (8), Indiana (2), Iowa (5), Kansas (2), Kentucky (1), Louisiana (5), Minnesota (34), Missouri (10), Montana (14), Nebraska (5), Nevada (13), New Mexico (30), New York (5), North Dakota (3), Ohio (2), Oklahoma (12), Oregon (19), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (9), South Dakota (1), Texas (33), Utah (51), Virginia (1), Washington (21), Wisconsin (38), and Wyoming (6).
Among people for whom information is available, illnesses range from July 3 to September 21. A total of 51% of ill people are children younger than 18 years.
“Illnesses that occurred after September 2, 2015 might not be reported yet,” said the CDC.
“A series of events occurs between the time a person is infected and the time public health officials can determine that the person is part of an outbreak. This means that there will be a delay between when a person gets sick and confirmation that he or she is part of an outbreak.”
Strains isolated at retail and facility
The health departments of Nevada, Arizona and Montana have isolated one of the outbreak strains of Salmonella Poona from cucumbers at retail.
The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency isolated one of the outbreak strains from cucumbers at the Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce facility.
Andrew & Williamson recalled all cucumbers sold under its Limited Edition label during August 1 through September 3.
Cucumbers are shipped in a black, green, yellow, and craft colored carton which reads “Limited Edition Pole Grown Cucumbers.” It is often referred to as a “Slicer” or “American” cucumber and has a dark green color.
It typically has a length of 7 to 10 inches and a diameter of 1.75 to 2.5 inches. In retail it is typically sold in a bulk display without any individual packaging or plastic wrapping and in food service it is typically served as part of a salad.
Another Salmonella outbreak
Meanwhile, The North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) is investigating a separate Salmonella outbreak which has sickened 22 people.
The investigation has not revealed a common food item, place or event where all of the cases may have been exposed.
Since July 20, 22 cases of Salmonella Thompson have been reported.
Laura Cronquist, an epidemiologist with the Division of Disease Control, said investigations can be very complex when there is no obvious common exposure.
“One of the challenges is getting good histories from people. People can forget what or when they consume specific foods or drinks.”
