Updated August 22 with the final outbreak update
A cucumber Salmonella outbreak has ended after sickening 551 people in 34 states and Washington DC. One hundred and fifty-five people were hospitalized. The cucumbers, distributed by Fresh Start Produce, were contaminated with Salmonella Braenderup and the rare strain Salmonella Africana.
Where Were the Tainted Cucumbers Grown?
On May 31, 2024, Fresh Start Produce based in Delray, FL issued a recall after the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture found Salmonella in a sample from a cucumber purchased at a grocery store.
Using shopper information from patients, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted a traceback investigation by reversing the route the cucumbers took to the store and identified Bedner Growers, Inc., of Boynton Beach, FL, and Thomas Produce Company, of Boca Raton, FL as the likely source of this outbreak, though not all of the illnesses can be attributed to these growers.
Bedner is a supplier to Fresh Start Produce. During its inspection of Bedner’s farm, the FDA collected environmental samples and found multiple strains of Salmonella. Some samples collected from untreated irrigation canal water were positive for Salmonella Braenderup. Genetic tests showed the Braenderup strain matched the one cultured from patients.
Other Salmonella strains were detected in soil and water samples collected from Bedner Growers. The genetic fingerprints of some of these strains matched clinical isolates from illnesses in the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s database reported in previous years. The CDC and FDA are working to determine if there is a link between the cucumbers and those previously reported illnesses.
Thomas Produce supplied cucumbers to multiple locations where outbreak patients reported eating cucumbers. The FDA inspected Thomas Produce and collected samples there. Tests on these samples from canal water used by Thomas Produce were positive for Salmonella Braenderup.
Whole genome sequencing (WGS) determined that the Salmonella strain found in the canal water matched the outbreak strain.
Do You Need a Salmonella Lawyer?
Symptoms of a Salmonella Infection
Salmonella Africana is extremely rare. Very few illnesses have been linked to it and this is the first outbreak it has caused. “This strain is causing severe illness,” said noted Salmonella Lawyer Eric Hageman of the national law firm Pritzker Hageman. “The hospitalization rate for this strain is more than twice the average.”
Symptoms of a Salmonella infection usually develop within six to 72 hours of exposure. They include:
- Fever
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal cramps
- Diarrhea that can be bloody
The patients included in this outbreak, who range in age from less than 1 year old to 94 years old, reported the onset of symptoms on dates ranging from March 11, 2024, to June 4, 2024.
States reporting cases included in this outbreak: Alabama (6), Arkansas (1), California (1), Connecticut (8), Delaware (3), Florida (60), Georgia (48), Illinois (9), Indiana (4), Iowa (5), Kentucky (20), Maine (4), Maryland (17), Massachusetts (11), Michigan (12), Minnesota (10), Mississippi (2), Missouri (4), Nevada (1), New Jersey (22), New York (69), North Carolina (27), Ohio (20), Oklahoma (2), Pennsylvania (68), Rhode Island (8), South Carolina (22), Tennessee (22), Texas (2), Vermont (2), Virginia (48), Washington (1), West Virginia (7), Wisconsin (4), and the District of Columbia (1).
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.