Rekubit Exchange:Florida grower likely source in salmonella outbreak tied to cucumbers, FDA, CDC say

A multistate investigation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Rekubit ExchangePrevention and the Food and Drug Administration has identified a Florida grower as a likely source in an outbreak caused by salmonella-tainted cucumbers.

Amidst the monthlong investigation – during which 449 people in 31 states and the District of Columbia have reported salmonella illnesses – salmonella found in untreated canal water used by Bedner Growers, Inc., of Boynton Beach, Florida, matched the strain (Salmonella Braenderup) sickening some in the outbreak, the agencies said.

Additional salmonella strains were detected in soil and water samples collected at Bedner Growers, said the CDC and FDA, which are continuing its investigation to see if these strains caused illness in people.

Bedner Growers, the agencies said, supplies Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc., of Delray, Florida, which on May 31 issued a recall of cucumbers grown in Florida that had been shipped to 14 states after some tested positive for salmonella.

There's no ongoing risk to the public because Bedner Growers' growing and harvesting season has ended and there are no cucumbers still in the marketplace, the agencies said, adding that Bedner Growers' produce does not account for all the illnesses reported in the outbreak.

In the outbreak, 215 people were infected with the newly added Salmonella Braenderup. The other strain in the outbreak is Salmonella Africana.

Of the 449 total cases reported from March 11 to June 4, no deaths have been reported and 125 have been hospitalized, based on the information available from 360 people, the CDC says.

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States where people have gotten sick from salmonella linked to cucumbers

These states have reported salmonella illnesses from either Salmonella Africana or Salmonella Braenderup, as of July 1, the FDC and CDC said.

• States with 1-3 cases: Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Indiana, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
• States with 4-9 cases: Alabama, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Rhode Island.
• States with 10-18 cases: Kentucky, Ohio, Maryland and Massachusetts.
• States with 19-34 cases: Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
• States with 35-60 cases: Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Salmonella symptoms

Symptoms of salmonella infection usually arise six hours to six days after exposure and may last 4 to 7 days. Diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps are among the typical symptoms, the CDC says.

Severe infections can also include aches, headaches, elevated fever, lethargy, rashes, and blood in the urine or stool. Some salmonella infections may become fatal.

Each year, salmonella causes about 1.35 million illnesses, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths in the U.S. according to the CDC.

Among the ways salmonella enters the food supply chain is via contaminated water such as that used to irrigate crops, the CDC says.

Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider.

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