Updated July 3 with additional illnesses A cucumber Salmonella outbreak includes nine illnesses in Minnesota. The cases are part of a multistate Salmonella outbreak that includes 449 people in 31 states.
Initially, federal officials thought there were two separate cucumber outbreaks, one linked to cucumbers contaminated with the rare strain Salmonella Africana, and another related to cucumbers tainted with Salmonella Braenderup. Now the two outbreaks have been combined.
States reporting Salmonella Africana cases linked to contaminated cucumbers. They are:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington DC
- Wisconsin
Rare and Virulent Salmonella Strain
Salmonella Africana is a rare strain that has never before been linked to a U.S. outbreak. “This strain is antibiotic-resistant and causes severe illness as indicated by a hospitalization rate that is more than double the average,” said noted Salmonella Lawyer Eric Hageman of the national law firm Pritzker Hageman.
Cucumber Salmonella Recall
On May 31, Fresh Start Produce of Delray, FL issued a recall for Florida-grown cucumbers after the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture found Salmonella in a sample from a cucumber purchased at a grocery store.
The recalled cucumbers are:
- Dark green
- About 1.5 – 2.0 inches in diameter
- Between 5 – 9 inches long
FDA Investigation
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) used shopper information from patients to conduct a traceback investigation by reversing the route the cucumbers took to the store and identified Bedner Growers, Inc., of Boynton Beach, FL as the likely source of this outbreak, though not all of the illnesses can be attributed to the grower.
Bedner is a supplier to Fresh Start Produce. The FDA collected environmental samples from Bedner farm and found multiple strains of Salmonella. Some samples collected from untreated irrigation canal water were positive for Salmonella Braenderup. Further testing showed the Braenderup strain matched the one cultured from patients.
Experienced Salmonella Lawyers
If you developed a Salmonella infection after eating contaminated cucumbers and would like a free consultation with a Salmonella lawyer, please contact the Pritzker Hageman Salmonella Legal Team. Our attorneys have represented clients in every major Salmonella outbreak in the U.S. Call us at 1-888-377-8900, text 612-261-0856, or complete the form below. There is no obligation and we don’t get paid unless we win.