18 people across the U.S. have been hospitalized after eating cucumbers contaminated with Salmonella.
According to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statement, 68 people across 19 states have been infected in the outbreak, with no deaths yet reported.
The outbreak has been traced to a batch of contaminated cucumbers grown by Agrotato, S.A. de C.V. in Sonora, Mexico.
“Epidemiologic and traceback information shows that cucumbers grown by Agrotato, S.A. de C.V. in Sonora, Mexico, including recalled cucumbers from SunFed Produce, LLC, may be contaminated with Salmonella and may be making people sick,” the CDC said.
This led SunFed Produce, LLC, who sold cucumbers grown by the company, to recall all sizes of their cucumber products from stores across 26 states.
States where the cucumbers had been sold included Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
The vegetables were also recalled across the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Calgary, Ontario and Saskatchewan.
“The recalled cucumbers were sold between October 12, 2024, thru November 26, 2024, and are being recalled because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in a statement regarding the recall, which occurred on November 27.
The CDC and FDA have warned customers to not consume any cucumbers sold between these dates, and to wash items and surfaces that may have come into contact with the recalled cucumbers. Businesses are advised to do the same, as well as notify customers if they purchased the recalled batch, if possible.
“If you bought whole fresh American cucumbers from October 12 through November 26 and can’t tell where they are from throw them away,” the CDC said.
Salmonella infections, commonly known as salmonellosis, can result in symptoms within around 6 hours to 6 days. These symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting, as well as a fever, chills and dehydration. In most cases, symptoms last 4–7 days, but they can persist longer if complications arise.
While the majority of Salmonella infections are mild and resolve on their own, they can pose serious health risks, especially to vulnerable groups such as infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems
“In some people, the illness may be so severe that the patient is hospitalized. Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other parts of the body,” the CDC explained.
