Cantaloupes linked to deadly salmonella outbreak

Two people have died in a salmonella outbreak linked to cantaloupes as cases have more than doubled since the outbreak was first announced this month, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

The Food and Drug Administration said on Nov. 17 that it was investigating the outbreak. At that point, 43 cases and 17 hospitalizations had been reported in 15 states. As of Friday, federal officials had reported 99 cases in 32 states.

Several fruit producers have issued recalls for a number of cantaloupe and cantaloupe products that were distributed nationwide, the CDC said.

Officials asked consumers and businesses to throw away the recalled fruits, which include imported whole cantaloupes grown in Mexico labeled “Rudy” and “Malichita” and precut cantaloupes sold under “Vinyard,” “Aldi,” “Freshness Guaranteed” and “RaceTrac” brand names.

The CDC posted a full list of the recalled fruits on its website.

As of Friday, at least two people in Minnesota had died and 45 people had been hospitalized. Officials in Canada were also investigating an outbreak there.

“The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses,” the CDC said, adding that it usually takes three to four weeks to determine if a case is part of an outbreak.

Salmonella is a foodborne bacteria that infects people with a potentially fatal disease called salmonellosis.

The bacteria accounts for most of the foodborne illnesses reported in the United States, according to the US Department of Agriculture, with an estimated 1.35 million people reported sick every year.

More than 400 people in the United States die from the infection annually.

Symptoms can last for days and include diarrhea, fever, and stomach pain. Young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune symptoms are especially vulnerable to the disease, which, in serious cases, is treated with antibiotics, according to the CDC.

The bacteria thrive in uncooked meats, though recent outbreaks have been linked to various food products such as diced onions, alfalfa sprouts, cookie dough, and peanut butter.

The recalled cantaloupes are part of a recent rash of foodborne illness outbreaks.

Last month, diced onions were recalled in connection to another salmonella outbreak. This past week, recalled peaches, nectarines and plums were linked to a listeria outbreak that caused one death.