LATEST UPDATE FROM THE CDC: On Cucumber Illness Outbreak

By Anonymous

Oct 07, 2015

LATEST UPDATE,  Oct 7, 2015: An additional 61 cases of salmonellosis has brought the total size of this cucumber-linked  outbreak to 732 people.  Since the shelf life of a cucumber is only 14 days, the CDC does not expect too many more, if any, additional cases.  The scope of this outbreak has now reached 35 states, and 150 people have been hospitalized  

 

Source): http://pennstatefoodsafety.blogspot.com/2015/10/number-of-cucumber-related.html

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Since the last update on September 22, 2015, 113 more ill people have been reported from 19 states. Given the 14-day shelf life of cucumbers, it is not unexpected to continue to see illnesses reported after the recalls.
Alabama was added to the list of states with ill people, bringing the total number of states to 34.

 

 

Highlights:

◦                     131 ill people have been hospitalized, and three deaths have been reported from Arizona (1), California (1), and Texas (1).  

◦                     51% of ill people are children younger than 18 years.

  • It is not unexpected to continue to see illnesses reported after the recalls, for several reasons. It can take up to a week from the time people eat food contaminated with Salmonella before they get sick. Also, cucumbers have a shelf life of up to 14 days. Some people may not have known about the recall and eaten the contaminated cucumbers after the recall.
  • Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback investigations have identified cucumbers imported from Mexico and distributed by Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce as a likely source of the infections in this outbreak.
  • Several recalls of cucumbers that may be contaminated with Salmonella have been announced as a result of this investigation.

◦                     On September 11, 2015, SeCustom Produce Sales voluntarily recalled all cucumbers sold under the Fat Boy label starting August 1, 2015. Unlabeled cucumbers packed into a black reusable plastic container, and sold in Nevada since August 1, 2015, are also covered by this recall. These cucumbers were sent to Custom Produce Sales from Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce.

◦                     On September 4, 2015, Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce voluntarily recalled all cucumbers sold under the “Limited Edition” brand label during the period from August 1, 2015 through September 3, 2015.

  • Recalled cucumbers were distributed in the states of Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah. Further distribution to other states may have occurred.

◦                     The type of cucumber that has been recalled is often referred to as a “slicer” or “American” cucumber and is dark green in color. Typical length is 7 to 10 inches. In retail locations the cucumbers are typically sold in a bulk display without any individual packaging or plastic wrapping.

◦                     Photos of the packing cartons are available.

  • Consumers should not eat, restaurants should not serve, and retailers should not sell any of the recalled cucumbers.

◦                     If you aren’t sure if your cucumbers were recalled, ask the place of purchase or your supplier. When in doubt, don’t eat, sell, or serve them and throw them out.

◦                     All (100%) were susceptible to all antibiotics tested on the NARMS panel.

◦                     CDC’s NARMS laboratory continues to conduct antibiotic resistance testing on additional isolates, and results will be reported when they are available.

September 29, 2015

Case Count Update

Since the last update on September 22, 2015, 113 new ill people have been reported from 19 states. It can take up to a week from the time people eat food contaminated with Salmonella before they get sick. Also, cucumbers have a shelf life of up to 14 days. It is not unexpected to continue to see illnesses reported after the recalls. Some people may not have known about the recall and eaten the contaminated cucumbers after the recall.

As of September 28, 2015, 671 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Poona have been reported from 34 states. The number of ill people reported from each state is as follows: 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 started on dates ranging from July 3, 2015 to September 21, 2015. Ill people range in age from less than 1 year to 99, with a median age of 17. Fifty-one percent of ill people are children younger than 18 years. Fifty-four percent of ill people are female. Among 459 people with available information, 131 (29%) report being hospitalized. Three deaths have been reported from Arizona (1), California (1) and Texas (1). 

Illnesses that occurred after September 2, 2015 might not be reported yet. 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. This takes an average of 2 to 4 weeks.

NOTE:  The original Shelf Life Advice article on the cucumber recall is at

http://shelflifeadvice.com/content/hundreds-sickened-likely-tainted-cucumbers  and may still be on the home page (printed below). 

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/poona-09-15/index.html

 
 

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