- All Malichita, Vinyard and ALDI brand melons have been recalled
- At least 43 people from 15 states have been diagnosed with salmonella
- READ MORE: Packaged, pre-cut onions linked to salmonella outbreak in 22 states
A deadly nationwide foodborne outbreak that hospitalized 17 Americans has been linked to melons.
At least 43 people from 15 states have been diagnosed with salmonella after eating cantaloupes.
Several brands of whole and pre-cut melons and pre-cut fruit have been recalled: Malichita brand whole melons, Vinyard brand pre-cut melons, and ALDI whole melons and pre-cut fruit.
U.S. health officials have said that customers who purchased the items should go to their doctor if they experience diarrhea, fever, bloody diarrhea and vomiting, which could be a sign of salmonella.
A nationwide salmonella outbreak that hospitalized 17 Americans has been linked to melons
The maps above show where at least 43 people from 15 states have been diagnosed with salmonella after eating melons
The whole melons may have a sticker reading “Malichita,” “4050” and “Product of Mexico/produit du Mexique,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.
They were sold in multiple states between October 16 and October 23, 2023
Vinyard brand pre-cut melons include cantaloupe cubes, mixed melons and fruit mixes sold in Oklahoma stores between October 30 and November 10, 2023.
Most of them have a yellow label that says “Vinyard” and some have a red label that says “Fresh.”
ALDI products include whole melons, melon pieces in clamshell packaging and pineapple sticks in clamshell packaging with a best before date between October 27th and 31st, 2023.
They were sold at ALDI stores in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin.
All affected products have been recalled.
The CDC said: “The actual number of people sickened in this outbreak is likely much higher than the reported number, and the outbreak may not be limited to those states with known illnesses.”
“This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for salmonella.” Additionally, recent illnesses may not yet be reported because it typically takes three to four weeks to determine whether a sick person is part of one outbreak is.”
The agency urged people not to eat recalled melons or other fruit products and to wash objects and surfaces that may have come into contact with the recalled fruit with hot, soapy water.
While some people have no symptoms of salmonella poisoning, sometimes the illness can be more serious and result in hospitalization.
People with underlying medical conditions, weakened immune systems, children under 12 months, and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to serious side effects or even death.
Salmonella infects more than 1.3 million people each year and results in 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths annually.
Symptoms of infection usually appear within 12 hours to three days of consuming contaminated food and include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps.
In rare cases, a salmonella infection can cause the pathogen to enter the bloodstream and cause more serious conditions such as artery infections, endocarditis (inflammation of the heart valve), and arthritis.
Officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC are investigating the outbreak to determine the cause and whether additional products are linked to illnesses.