MELLON MAYHEM — Back away from your cantaloupe if you don’t know the brand, the CDC warns …
ARS TECHNICA –
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning everyone in the country to back away from pre-cut cantaloupe unless you’re certain the fruit in question is not tied to a large, nationwide Salmonella outbreak that is unusually severe.
So far, 117 cases of infection across 34 states have been identified in the outbreak. The cases are in people ranging from infants to the elderly, including a 100-year-old.
Of the cases, 61 (52 percent) have been hospitalized, and two deaths have been reported in Minnesota.
The CDC attributes the unusually high hospitalization rate to the fact that the pre-cut fruit was served at long-term care facilities and childcare centers.
“Pre-cut cantaloupe and fruit cup products have been recalled including those sold at Kwik Trip, Bix Produce, Aldi, Kroger, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Trader Joe’s.”
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The elderly and young children are at higher risk of severe Salmonella illness.
Two brands of whole cantaloupes have been recalled in connection to the outbreak: Malichita and Rudy brands.
But many recalled products were sold pre-cut, making it harder for consumers to identify the brands …
Beth is Ars Technica’s Senior Health Reporter. Beth has a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and attended the Science Communication program at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
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She specializes in covering infectious diseases, public health, and microbes.