Salmonella-linked cucumbers sicken 5 Washingtonians amid string of national foodborne illness outbreaks
Maybe Ron Swanson was right about vegetables.
A nationwide outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium has infected 68 people in 19 states, including five people in Washington state. The outbreak has been linked to cucumbers grown in Sonora, Mexico, and packaged by Arizona-based SunFed Produce.
The news comes two weeks after a multi-state E. coli outbreak was linked to organic carrots sold under multiple brands by Grimmway Farms, headquartered in Bakersfield, Calif. As of Thanksgiving, that outbreak had infected 39 people in 18 states, including eight Washington residents.
In the latest salmonella outbreak linked to cucumbers, cases have been reported across the country, from Alaska to Massachusetts. As of Nov. 26, the Washington State Department of Health said five Washington cases have been linked to the outbreak — one each in Cowlitz, Island, Skagit, Spokane, and Whatcom counties. No one has been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.
The recalled American cucumbers were packaged by SunFed Produce and grown by Agrotato, S.A. de C.V. of Sonora, Mexico. They were sold between Oct. 12 and Nov. 26 and may have a sticker that says “SunFed Mexico.”
“As soon as we learned of this issue, we immediately acted to protect consumers,” said SunFed President Craig Slate in an FDA press release. “We are working closely with authorities and the implicated ranch to determine the possible cause.”
If you have fresh cucumbers that don’t have stickers, the advice from the state Department of Health is simple — get rid of them.
“If you bought whole fresh American cucumbers during October 12 through November 26 and can’t tell where they are from, throw them away,” the DOH release said.
In addition, health officials suggest washing surfaces that may have touched recalled cucumbers with hot soapy water.
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, headache, and chills. If symptoms become extreme — for example, if fevers top 102 degrees or diarrhea lasts for more than three days — infected people are urged to contact their doctor.
Consumers who have purchased the recalled products may obtain additional information by contacting SunFed’s recall hotline (888) 542-5849, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (MST) Monday through Friday.
