FDA links anther cucumber grower to outbreak of Salmonella infections

The FDA has named a second grower whose cucumbers have been determined to be a source of Salmonella in an outbreak that has sickened 449 people.

Testing has confirmed that canal water used by Thomas Produce Co., which is in Boca Raton, FL, is contaminated with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Braenderup. The Food and Drug Administration has now also confirmed that Salmonella from canal water used by Bedner Growers Inc. of Boynton Beach, FL, is a match for the Salmonella that made people sick.

The outbreak sickened 449 people across 31 states with 125 patients requiring hospitalization. The most recent patient to develop symptoms got sick on June 4. The growers are no longer producing cucumbers and it is believed that there are no longer any of the implicated cucumbers in stores.

Based on traceback information collected, Thomas Produce Co. and Bedner Growers Inc. supplied cucumbers to multiple points of service where ill people reported eating cucumbers, according to an outbreak update from the FDA.

In addition to finding the outbreak strain in canal water used by the growers, the FDA found Salmonella in the soil at the growing locations. The agency also found other Salmonella strains the are not involved in the outbreak.

“Multiple other strains of Salmonella, unrelated to this outbreak investigation, found at Bedner Growers Inc. matched clinical isolates from illnesses in the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s (NCBI) database that occurred in previous years. CDC and FDA are working to determine whether other positive samples from Thomas Produce Company match historical clinical isolates,” according to the outbreak update.

The number of people sickened in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number of laboratory confirmed patients. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that for every confirmed Salmonella patient there are 29 patients that go undetected by medical providers. This is because some people do not seek medical attention and others are not specifically tested for Salmonella infection.

About Salmonella infections
Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile, according to the CDC.

Anyone who has developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis.

Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization.

Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions.

Some people get infected without getting sick or showing any symptoms. However, they may still spread the infections to others.

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