How big will the Salmonella Cucumber Outbreak get this time?

SunFed Cucumber Salmonella Outbreak

As of November 26, 2024, a total of 68 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella have been reported from 19 states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Massachusetts, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.  Of the 50 people for whom information is available, 18 have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. On Thanksgiving Day, The whole fresh American cucumbers were sold by SunFed and other importers and shipped to customers located in the states of Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin & Wyoming and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Calgary, Saskatchewan, & Ontario. On November 27, 2024, SunFed Produce, LLC initiated a recall of all sizes of American/slicer cucumbers that were grown by Agrotato, S.A. de C.V. in Sonora, Mexico. 

Thanks to the dedicated folks at www.outbreakdatabase.com for keeping track of such things.

2013: In April 2013 the CDC and their state and local partners and the FDA, investigated an outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul Infections linked to consumption of imported cucumbers. In total, there were 84 outbreak associated cases residing in 18 states. Among persons for whom information was available, illness onset dates ranged from January 12, 2013 to April 28, 2013. Ill persons ranged in age from less than 1 year to 89 years. Among 60 persons with available information, 17 (28%) were hospitalized. No deaths were reported. On April 24, 2013 the FDA placed Daniel Cardenas Izabal and Miracle Greenhouse of Culiacan, Mexico on Import Alert. The cucumbers were distributed by Tricar Sales, Inc. of Rio Rico, Arizona.

2014: In August 2014 public health investigators detected an increase in Salmonella Newport through surveillance of PulseNet, a national molecular subtyping network for foodborne disease. A total of 275 cases were reported from 29 states and the District of Columbia. Illness onset dates ranged from May 25 to September 29, 2014. Thirty four percent (48 of 141) were hospitalized; one death was reported in an elderly man with bacteremia. Sixty-two percent (49 of 79) of respondents reported eating cucumbers in the week before becoming ill. Officials in Maryland, Delaware and New York worked with the FDA and USDA to conduct an informational traceback from retail establishments to identify a point of distribution for produce items. Preliminary traceback led to common grower in Maryland’s Eastern Shore in the Delmarva region. Officials collected 48 environmental samples from areas where cucumbers were grown, harvested and packed. No samples yielded Salmonella although sampling was performed several months after harvest.

2015: On September 4, 2015 the CDC announced an outbreak of Salmonella Poona linked to consumption of cucumbers grown in Mexico and imported by Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce. On March 18, 2016 the outbreak was declared to be over. A total of 907 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Poona were reported from 40 states. Among people for whom information was available, illnesses started on dates ranging from July 3, 2015 to February 29, 2016. Two hundred four ill people were hospitalized, and six deaths were reported. Salmonella infection was not considered to be a contributing factor in two of the 6 deaths. Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback investigations identified imported cucumbers from Mexico and distributed by Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce as the likely source of the infections in this outbreak.

2016: In April 2016, a multistate cluster of Salmonella Oslo infections with an indistinguishable PFGE pattern was detected, involving 14 patients in 8 states. Illness onsets occurred between March 21 and April 9. Epidemiologic evidence implicated consumption of Persian cucumbers; however, Salmonella was not isolated from any cucumbers.

2018: Seven cases of Salmonella Infantis infections were associated with consumption of English cucumbers purchased at various Costco stores. Illnesses began in August 2018. The last reported illness occurred on September 15, 2018. Two people were hospitalized. No one died.

2024: In June 2024, the CDC announced a multistate outbreak of salmonellosisassociated with cucumbers. As of August 22, 2024, a total of 551 cases had been reported by 34 states and the District of Columbia. Cases of Salmonella Africana (n=282) and Salmonella Braenderup (n=269) were detected. CDC and FDA combined investigations of these two serotypes as they shared several similarities, including where and when illnesses occurred, the demographics of ill people and the foods they reported eating before they became sick. Illnesses started on dates ranging from March 11, 2024 to July 26, 2024. Of 456 people with information available, 155 were hospitalized. No deaths were reported.

Republished with permission from Bill Marler and Marler Clark. Copyright (c) Marler Clark LLP, PS. All rights reserved.