Multistate Salmonella outbreak tied to whole cucumbers

News brief

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and public health officials in several states are investigating a multistate Salmonella outbreak in whole cucumbers.

To date, 26 people in 15 states have been sickened in the outbreak of Salmonella Montevideo infections, and 9 have been hospitalized, according to an update posted yesterday by the CDC. Seven of the case-patients reported taking a cruise ship departing from Florida in the 7 days before they became ill. Illness dates range from April 2 to April 28. The CDC says the outbreak is likely much larger, given that most people recover from Salmonella without medical care.

Of the 13 people interviewed, 11 reported buying and eating cucumbers from a variety of locations, including grocery stores, restaurants, hospitals, and cruise ships.

Florida grower, distributor linked to outbreak

Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback data have linked the outbreak to whole cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales to stores, restaurants, and other facilities. Both the grower and the distributor are based in Florida. FDA investigators collected an environmental sample from Bedner Growers in April that was positive for Salmonella and matched clinical samples from case patients.

Bedner Growers was also linked to a 2024 outbreak of Salmonella Africana and Salmonella Braederup that sickened 551 people in 34 states. The FDA's April inspection of the farm was a follow-up in response to that outbreak.

The CDC and FDA say restaurants and retailers that purchased whole cucumbers grown by Bedner and distributed by Fresh Start from April 29 to May 19 should not sell or serve them while the investigation is ongoing and should notify customers of the potential health concern. Cucumbers distributed before this timeframe should be past shelf life. The cucumbers may have been sold individually or in smaller packages and labeled as "supers," "selects," or "plains."

"If you have any whole cucumbers in your home and can't tell where they are from, throw them out," the CDC said.

Texas and Georgia announce more measles cases

News brief

Lisa Schnirring

The Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) today reported four more measles cases since its last update on May 16 in the large outbreak centered in West Texas, bringing the outbreak total to 722. So far, 92 people have been hospitalized, and the number of deaths remains at two.

measles torso — *Natalya Maisheva/iStock*

Based on rash-onset dates, cases have been declining since a peak in mid-March. Active transmission is still under way in seven counties, mostly in West Texas. The exception is Lamar County in East Texas, which has reported 19 cases.

No new illnesses were reported from New Mexico or Oklahoma, which have reported earlier cases linked to the Texas outbreak.

Georgia reports fourth measles case

In other measles developments, the Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH) reported the state’s fourth measles case of the year, which involves an unvaccinated Atlanta resident who had recently traveled internationally.

Health officials said they are working to identify people who may have been exposed to the patient while he or she was infectious between May 10 and 18.

Wisconsin to begin milk sampling for H5N1 avian flu

News brief

Lisa Schnirring

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) announced yesterday that the state will soon begin mandatory monthly milk sampling for avian influenza as part of the National Milk Testing Strategy required by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The USDA has been phasing in states for testing based on previous detections. Wisconsin is the nation’s second-biggest dairy producer and is among the 33 states that haven’t reported any H5N1 detections in dairy cattle.

In its statement, the DATCP said that, with help from industry partners, the plan is to collect one milk sample per dairy farm each month, primarily through existing milk-quality labs, to minimize disruptions to dairy farms yet get farm-level results. Initial testing will be done by the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, with any H5N1 detections confirmed by the USDA’s National Veterinary Service Laboratories.

H5N1 strikes massive layer farm in Arizona

In other H5N1 developments, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported two more H5N1 outbreaks in poultry, one of them involving a commercial layer farm in Maricopa County, Arizona, that has about 2.26 million birds.

The other involves a backyard flock in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, that has 30 birds.