CDC warns of Salmonella outbreak linked to moringa powder capsules

News brief

Late last week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a new outbreak of extensively drug-resistant Salmonella infections tied to moringa leaf powder capsules. This is the second Salmonella outbreak related to contaminated moringa powder in the past six months, but the two outbreaks are not related, CDC said.

The CDC and the Food and Drug Administration identified certain lots of Rosabella brand moringa powder capsules as the likely source of the outbreak. The capsules are sold on the company's website, Amazon, TikTok Shop, Shein, and eBay.

If you have any of these capsules in your home, throw them out or return them.

“If you have any of these capsules in your home, throw them out or return them. CDC and FDA continue to work to identify if there are other products causing illness in this outbreak,” CDC said.

Seven people in seven states have been sickened, including three people who required hospitalization. No deaths have been reported. The median age of patients is 66 years, and 86% are females. The three people interviewed by state and local public health officials all reported eating Rosabella brand moringa powder capsules.

WGS testing shows antibiotic resistance

Whole-genome sequencing of seven samples collected from patients shows this strain of Salmonella is resistant to all first-line and alternative antibiotics commonly recommended for the treatment of Salmonella infections.

All samples had predicted resistance or nonsusceptibility to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, ampicillin, azithromycin, cefoxitin, ceftiofur, ceftriaxone, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, hygromycin, kanamycin, meropenem, streptomycin, sulfisoxazole, and tetracycline. Six of the seven samples had predicted resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and one sample had predicted resistance to colistin.

“If antibiotics are needed, Salmonella illnesses with this predicted resistance may not be treatable with commonly recommended antibiotics and may require a different antibiotic choice,” the CDC said.

South Carolina’s measles total rises to 962

News brief

Stephanie Soucheray, MA

measles boy — Aleksandr Zyablitskiy / iStock

Today in an update the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) announced 12 more measles cases in an ongoing outbreak, bringing the state total to 962 cases since last October. The outbreak’s epicenter remains Spartanburg County.

Complications are not reportable to DPH, but we have learned of 20 hospitalizations, including both adults and children.

“Complications are not reportable to DPH, but we have learned of 20 hospitalizations, including both adults and children, for complications of the disease since the beginning of the outbreak,” DPH said. “Additional cases required medical care for measles but were not hospitalized.”

Of the 962 case patients, 615 are between the ages of 5 and 17, and 253 are under the age of 5. Cases are primarily among unvaccinated residents (893), with 20 cases in people with partial vaccination, 26 in people fully vaccinated, and 23 with unknown vaccination status.

Florida now has 68 cases

In other outbreak news, Florida now has 68 measles case so far this year, and at least 57 of those are part of an ongoing outbreak at Ave Maria University.

And in North Dakota, the Department of Health and Human Services said yesterday there are now six confirmed measles cases in the state this year, with multiple exposures. Pembina County has reported five measles cases.