Contaminated Cucumber Causes 68 Salmonella Cases in the U.S.

At least 68 people in the United States have contracted salmonella due to contaminated cucumbers sold in both the U.S. and Canada, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The newspaper cited federal health officials stating that the salmonella outbreak, likely linked to cucumbers, has affected at least 68 individuals across 19 states.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Saturday that at least 18 people required hospitalization, though no deaths have been reported.

The outbreak is believed to be connected to cucumbers grown in Mexico and distributed by SunFed Produce and other importers in the U.S.

Last Wednesday, SunFed issued a recall for all sizes of “whole fresh cucumbers” sold between October 12 and November 26.

The company stated that the products were available in multiple U.S. states and parts of Canada.

According to Arizona-based SunFed, the recall decision followed notification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about potential contamination.

Craig Slate, president of SunFed, said: “Once we became aware of the issue, we acted immediately to protect consumers. We are working closely with authorities and the implicated farm to determine the possible cause.”

The CDC noted that the cucumbers were grown by Agrotato, a company based in Sonora, Mexico.

In collaboration with other public health officials, the CDC identified six locations where clusters of contamination cases emerged. This means that unrelated individuals who ate at the same locations or events became ill.

These locations include two independent living facilities, three school zones, and one restaurant.