Untreated canal water used by a cucumber grower was a likely source of the outbreak affecting more than 449 people, according to the CDC and FDA.
After more than 449 people were diagnosed with salmonella infection in the United States, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have reason to believe that contaminated cucumbers may have caused the multistate outbreak.
Earlier this year, a company in Florida recalled whole cucumbers shipped to certain states, due to the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. The organism can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems, the FDA said in a statement.
Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal pain. Most people recover without treatment within seven days. However, children younger than five years, adults older than 65 years, and people with weakened immune systems may experience severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalisation. In rare circumstances, the organism can get into the bloodstream and produce more severe illnesses, such as arterial infections and endocarditis.
As part of the current ongoing investigation, epidemiologic, traceback, and laboratory data reveal that some cucumbers were contaminated with Salmonella Braenderup, a strain of salmonella. The CDC and FDA believe that untreated canal water used by a cucumber grower was a likely source of the outbreak.
To prevent getting sick from salmonella infection, the CDC recommends the following food safety steps: First, wash your hands, utensils, and surfaces often; rinse fruits and vegetables under running water before eating, cutting, or peeling. Second, keep food that won’t be cooked separate from raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Third, make sure you have cooked your food to a temperature high enough to kill germs. Lastly, refrigerate perishable food within two hours. If the outside temperature is hotter than 90°F (32°C), refrigerate within an hour.
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