Recalled cucumbers linked to a salmonella outbreak are getting hundreds of people sick.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said nearly 450 people have fallen ill across 31 states and D.C. as of July 2.
This comes as officials from both the CDC and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been investigating cases of infection with Salmonella africana and Salmonella braenderup bacteria.
The agencies combined investigations because of their similarities in demographics and the food people were eating before they became sick.
“Epidemiologic, traceback and laboratory data show that cucumbers were contaminated with Salmonella and made people sick,” the CDC said in an update.
Of the 360 sick patients with information available, 125 were hospitalized. There have been no reported deaths, the CDC said.
FDA data found that cucumbers from Bedner Growers and Thomas Produce Company, both based in Florida, are the likely sources of illness in this outbreak. They do not however account for all the illnesses in the outbreak.
The CDC said it is likely there are more illnesses linked to the outbreak than are being reported.
“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. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella,” said the CDC.
“In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak,” the CDC said.
Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Symptoms may appear hours or days after infection, and generally resolve without the need for medical treatment within a week, according to the CDC.
Those at higher risk of serious illness from salmonella include people over 65 or under 12 months of age.
Bedner Growers and Thomas Produce Company are not growing and harvesting any more cucumbers this season.
“There is no product from these farms on the market and likely no ongoing risk to the public,” the CDC said.
