The U.S. is currently facing a deadly Salmonella outbreak that has already infected residents of 30 states.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC), the Salmonella Poona strain has already infected 341 people in the country and has caused the deaths of two individuals in Texas and California.
The infections for some individuals have become so severe that a total of 70 people have already been hospitalized, Yahoo reported. Below is the complete list of states and their number of confirmed cases based on CDC's report released on September 8:
- Alaska - 9
- Arizona - 66
- Arkansas - 6
- California - 72
- Colorado - 14
- Hawaii - 1
- Idaho - 8
- Illinois - 6
- Kansas - 1
- Kentucky - 1
- Louisiana - 4
- Minnesota - 12
- Missouri - 8
- Montana - 10
- Nebraska - 2
- Nevada - 7
- New Mexico - 18
- New York - 4
- North Dakota - 1
- Ohio - 2
- Oklahoma - 8
- Oregon - 8
- Pennsylvania - 2
- South Carolina - 7
- Texas - 18
- Utah - 30
- Virginia - 1
- Washington - 10
- Wisconsin - 2
- Wyoming - 3
According to the CDC, more than half or 53 percent of the 341 infected individuals are children below 18 years old.
The government agency noted that the outbreak is linked to the cucumbers from Mexico. Experts believe the vegetables became contaminated after being exposed to fecal matter from manure or dirty irrigation water.
The cucumbers reached the U.S. through the distribution company Andre & Williamson Fresh Produce. The CDC stated in its report that the first reported cases linked to Salmonella started on July 3. In response to CDC's findings, the company issued a voluntary recall for the cucumbers on September 4.
According to the Washington Post, those who are unsure if their cucumbers they recently purchased are part of the recall should immediately contact the retailers. Also, if in doubt, it would be best to discard the cucumbers instead of eating, selling or serving them.
Some of the symptoms of the Salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. A person infected by the bacteria will display these symptoms between 12 to 72 hours. It could take four to seven days before an infected person can recover from the illness without medical treatment.
Currently, the CDC is working the health and agricultural departments of the various states to test cucumbers that were not part of the recall for signs of Salmonella. Investigations regarding the outbreak are still ongoing but the CDC promised to release updated information to the public once it is available.
