- Malichita, Vinyard and ALDI melons have all been recalled
- At least 43 people from 15 states have been diagnosed with salmonella
- READ MORE: Pre-cut bagged onions linked to salmonella outbreak in 22 states
A deadly nationwide food outbreak that hospitalized 17 Americans has been linked to melons.
At least 43 people from 15 states have been diagnosed with salmonella after consuming cantaloupe melons.
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 products.
U.S. health officials have said customers who purchased the items should see their doctor if they experience diarrhea, fever, bloody diarrhea and vomiting, which could be a sign of salmonella.
A nationwide outbreak of salmonella that has hospitalized seventeen Americans has been linked to melons
The above maps show where at least 43 people from 15 states have been diagnosed with salmonella after consuming melons
The whole melons may have a sticker reading “Malichita,” “4050” and “Product of Mexico/produit du Mexique,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
They were sold in multiple states between October 16 and October 23, 2023
Vinyard brand pre-cut melons include melon cubes, melon mixes and fruit melons sold in Oklahoma stores between October 30 and November 10, 2023.
Most have a yellow label with ‘Vinyard’, and some have a red label with ‘Fresh’.
ALDI products include whole melons, melon pieces in clamshell packaging and pineapple spears in clamshell packaging, with best before dates between October 27 and October 31, 2023.
They were sold in ALDI stores in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin.
All affected products have been recalled.
The CDC said, “The actual number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the reported number, and the outbreak may not be limited to 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 because it typically takes three to four weeks to determine whether a sick person is part of an outbreak.”
The agency urged people not to eat recalled melons or other fruit products and to wash objects and surfaces that could have touched the recalled fruit with hot, soapy water.
Although some people have no symptoms of salmonella poisoning, the illness can sometimes be more serious and lead to hospitalization.
Salmonella infects more than 1.3 million people annually, leading to 26,500 hospital admissions and 420 deaths per year.
Symptoms of infection usually occur within 12 hours to three days after eating contaminated food and include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps.
In rare cases, a salmonella infection can cause the organism to enter the bloodstream and cause more serious illnesses, such as infections in the arteries, endocarditis (inflammation of the heart valve), and arthritis.
Officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the CDC are investigating the outbreak to determine its source and whether additional products are linked to illnesses.