Since the beginning of the outbreak, 112 of those infected have been hospitalized, and the strain, salmonella poona, has been found across 33 states. Deaths linked to the outbreak have occurred in Arizona, Texas and California.
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Three persons have died so far as a result of a cucumber salmonella outbreak and more than 558 have been infected with the bacteria. California is also the state with maximum number of cases identified to date; next is Arizona followed by Utah, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
The cucumbers can be recognized by the following characteristics: they are dark-green, about 7-10 inches in length, and 1.75-2.5 inches in diameter, and normally they are sold in bulk, without any plastic wrap or packaging.
“We are concerned that not all Idahoans are aware of the recall and may have recently eaten or still have cucumbers involved with the outbreak in their homes”, Idaho Public Health medical director Dr. Christine Hahn said in a press release. Produce from here were shipped to Andrew & Williamson.
The CDC said in addition to the Andrew and Williamson recall, Custom Produce Sales voluntarily recalled all cucumbers sold under its Fat Boy label.
“If you aren’t sure if your cucumbers were recalled, ask the place of purchase or your supplier”.
Symptoms of salmonella include fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. The illness can lead to invasive infections including meningitis and blood stream infections and can be deadly in rare cases, especially if the patient is elderly or has a compromised immune system.
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“This circumstance is a saddening reminder that illnesses that often don’t cause a high level of harm to most people can have a devastating effect on those in our community that are most medically vulnerable”, Francisco Garcia, health department director, said in a press release. Around 40,000 Americans are affected by some sort of food poisoning involving salmonella each year.
