Cases in papaya Salmonella outbreak climb over 100

A total of 109 people infected with Salmonella Kiambu (48) or Salmonella Thompson (61) have been reported from 16 states.

Thirty-five people have been hospitalized and one person from New York City has died.

The previous update said 47 people were infected with S. Kiambu from 12 states. Twelve had been hospitalized and one person had died.

Carica de Campeche farm implicated ​

Maradol papayas imported from Mexico are the likely source of the outbreak.

Illness dates range from May 17 to July 22 and ill people range in age from less than one to 95.

Among ill people, 63% are female and of 74 people with available information, 50 are of Hispanic ethnicity.

Of 59 people interviewed, 28 reported eating papaya in the week before they became ill.

CDC recommends consumers not eat, restaurants not serve and retailers not sell Maradol papayas from Mexico.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told consumers to avoid Caribeña and Cavi brands of Maradol papayas and all varieties from the Carica de Campeche farm in Campeche, Mexico.

FDA identified Maradol papayas from the Carica de Campeche farm as a likely source as Salmonella strains matching the outbreak patterns by PFGE were only isolated from papayas from that farm.

The agency has also increased testing of papayas from Mexico to see if fruit from other farms could be contaminated.

Papayas from the Carica de Campeche farm tested positive for S. Kiambu, S. Thompson, Salmonella Agona, Salmonella Senftenberg and Salmonella Gaminara.

Caribeña brand Maradol papayas from Mexico were identified as one brand linked to the outbreak.

Recall of papaya​

Grande Produce recalled Caribeña brand Maradol papayas distributed between July 10 and 19.

Importation and distribution are temporarily on hold, said the company.

Certain lots of Cavi brand Maradol papayas were recalled on August 4 by Agroson’s LLC. Agroson’s said the papayas were distributed on July 16-19 and available to consumers until July 31.

The firm recalled 2,483 boxes of Maradol Papaya Cavi Brand, grown and packed by Carica de Campeche. Consumers can identify them by PLU sticker, cavi Mexico 4395.

Agroson’s has ceased importing papayas from Carica de Campeche. Cavi papayas sourced from other farms are not being recalled.

Salmonella was isolated from Maradol papayas that Maryland health officials collected from a grocery store.

Both samples were from Caribeña brand Maradol papayas imported from Mexico.

FDA is in contact with Mexican authorities, Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria (SENASICA) and Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios (COFEPRIS) on the outbreak investigation.

SENASICA had previously said it was ‘premature’ to call out Mexican papaya as the source of contamination before official laboratory analysis.