The Salmonella outbreak linked to pre-cut melon produced by Caito Foods has expanded to include 70 people in seven states, according to an update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About half of them, 34, became so sick they needed to be hospitalized.
The Salmonella lawyers at Pritzker Hageman filed the first lawsuit in this outbreak. They represent clients nationwide and have won millions in lawsuits against restaurants and food companies.
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A recall has been issued for the products containing pre-cut watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew including fruit salads, fruit trays, melon chunks and melon spears which were sold at a large number of grocery stores including Walmart, Kroger, Costco, WholeFoods/Amazon, Sprouts, Jay C, Payless, Trader Joe’s and Walgreens. Click here to see the full list of Caito Foods recalled cut melon products.
Since the last update, the outbreak has expanded to include two new states, Kentucky and Tennessee, and 10 more illnesses. By state, the case count is as follows: Illinois (7), Indiana (11), Kentucky (1), Michigan (38), Missouri (10), Ohio (2) and Tennessee (1).
Sixty-seven percent of the case-patients, who range in age from less than 1 to 97 years old, are female. Those sickened reported onset-of-illness dates ranging from April 30, 2018, to June 3, 2018. Thirty-four people became so seriously ill that they needed to be hospitalized. One of them is an Ohio woman represented by Pritzker Hageman attorney Fred Pritzker in the first Salmonella lawsuit filed in this outbreak. The lawsuit (Case Number 3:18-cv-01333) was filed on June 12, 2018, in U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio.
According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff purchased a pre-cut fruit product produced by Caito from a Walmart store in Findlay, Ohio. One day after she ate the fruit, the plaintiff developed symptoms of a Salmonella infection including stomach cramps and diarrhea. These symptoms worsened over the course of several days, she saw her doctor and was admitted to the hospital with a pervasive Salmonella infection. After her hospital stay, she was discharged to a rehab center where she remains.