Salmonella Cases Linked to Cucumbers Rise as Second Outbreak Reported

Federal officials are investigating the cases.

Recalled cucumbers are shown in an undated file photograph. Courtesy of the FDA

The number of salmonella cases linked to cucumbers has risen, federal officials said on June 12.

The outbreak, involving the salmonella strain Africana, has sickened 196 people across 28 states and Washington, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC is probing the cases with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The illnesses occurred between March 11 and May 23 and left at least 68 people hospitalized, although no deaths have been recorded.

“The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak,” the CDC said in a statement.

During interviews with health officials, many people who became sick reported eating cucumbers shortly before showing symptoms. Of the 85 people interviewed, 63 said they ate cucumbers. The high percentage (74 percent), and the difference between this percentage and the percentage of respondents who reported eating cucumbers in a CDC survey (50 percent), “suggests that people in this outbreak got sick from eating cucumbers,” according to the CDC.

The FDA recalled cucumbers sold by a Florida-based company earlier this month. Those cucumbers were shipped to 14 states, including Florida, Maryland, and South Carolina.

At least one case of salmonella Africana has been reported in each of the 14 states to date.

However, testing of a sample supplied by the company showed a different strain of the illness, salmonella Bareilly, the FDA said in an update.

Further testing is taking place as officials try to determine the source of the outbreak, as well as another outbreak of Salmonella Braenderup that has cropped up recently.

Some 185 people across 24 states have reported cases of salmonella Braenderup in recent weeks.

The two outbreaks share similarities, including the location of the illnesses.

“Investigators are working to determine whether the two outbreaks could be linked to the same food vehicle,” the FDA said.

Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause symptoms including diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. Symptoms typically appear between six hours and six days after a person is infected, and they usually last from four to seven days.

While some cases resolve on their own, the CDC advises people who experience more severe symptoms, such as bloody stools, to contact their doctor.