CDC: Precut melon Salmonella outbreak sickens 24 more, 117 total
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said yesterday that 24 more people have been sickened in a multistate Salmonella Carrau outbreak linked to precut melon, raising the total to 117.
One more state—Iowa—has reported a related illness, lifting the number of affected states to 10.
Illness-onset dates range from Mar 4 to Apr 8. Of 88 people with available information, 32 (36%) have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Most of the patients are adults over age 50.
Interviews with sick patients suggests they ate precut melon bought at grocery stores, including cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew, or a fruit salad mix or fruit tray with melon.
Information from stores where customers purchased the products suggests that the precut melon was supplied by Caito Foods, based in Indianapolis. The products were sold under different brand names at major retailers, including Renaissance Food Group and Boar's Head at Kroger, Garden Highway at Target, the Trader Joe's label at Trader Joe's, Freshness Guaranteed at Wal-Mart, and the Whole Foods Market label at Amazon/Whole Foods.
Apr 24 CDC statement
Apr 15 CIDRAP News scan "CDC ties pre-cut melon to 93-case multistate Salmonella outbreak"
Second company recalls ground beef after E coli positives
A second meat company has recalled its ground beef products after samples collected as part of an Escherichia coli O103 outbreak tested positive, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said yesterday in a recall notice.
Further testing is under way to determine if the products are definitively linked to the outbreak.
The recall from Grant Park Packaging, based in Franklin Park, Illinois, includes about 53,200 pounds of bulk raw ground beef produced in late October and early November. The 40-pound cardboard boxes are packaged under the North Star Imports and Sales label and bear the establishment number "EST. 21781" inside the USDA inspection mark. They were shipped to Minnesota for further distribution and to Kentucky for institutional use.
The sample that tested positive was collected at a point of service where multiple people sickened in the outbreak ate. Traceback and analysis continues to determine if the recalled products are linked to the outbreak.
Earlier this week the CDC said the outbreak total has risen to 156 cases in 10 states, and another company—K2D foods based in Georgia—recalled about 113,000 pounds of its ground beef after samples from a restaurant where some of the patients had eaten tested positive for E coli O103. Further testing is also under way to determine if that meat is an outbreak source.
Apr 24 USDA FSIS recall notice
Apr 24 CIDRAP News story "E coli outbreak hits 10 states; ground beef recalled"