We've already seen a number of Salmonella outbreaks in the U.S. just in the first half of the year. In January, nearly 50 people fell ill from charcuterie products sold at Costco and Sam's Club. More recently, in April, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it was investigating an outbreak tied to Trader Joe's basil. Now, another wave of sickness is upon us, as officials are warning about a different Salmonella outbreak spreading in 25 states.
RELATED: Planters Nuts Are Being Recalled Over Possible Listeria, FDA Says.
In a June 5 update, the FDA revealed that it had joined forces with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to investigate a "multistate outbreak of Salmonella Africana infections potentially linked to cucumbers."
The agency said that so far, 162 people from 25 states and Washington, D.C., have been infected with the current outbreak strain of Salmonella Africana. Out of 65 of those individuals, 72 percent reported that they had eaten cucumbers before their illness.
Officials from the Department of Agriculture in Pennsylvania—one of the impacted states with the most infections—collected samples of cucumbers from several retail locations in the state to test, and found that one sample supplied by Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc. tested positive for Salmonella.
"Additional analysis is ongoing to determine the specific strain of Salmonella that was detected on the cucumbers and if they are linked to an outbreak," the FDA noted.
But as a result of the positive test, Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc. decided to recall whole cucumbers that were grown in Florida and shipped between May 17 and May 21 to retail distribution centers, wholesalers, and food service distributors in 14 states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
"This product should no longer be available for sale to consumers in stores," the FDA said in its update.
RELATED: Trader Joe's Nuts Sold in 16 States Are Being Recalled for Possible Salmonella.
Consumers who may have purchased affected cucumbers before they were recalled might also be contacted by their grocery store to discard them, according to the FDA.
"This product is likely past shelf life; however, if you cannot tell if your cucumber was included in the recall, do not eat or use recalled cucumbers and throw them away," the agency urged.
Another step you should take in order to stay safe is to "wash items and surfaces that may have touched the recalled cucumbers using hot soapy water or a dishwasher," the CDC said in its own notice regarding the outbreak.
Salmonella symptoms, which commonly include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, may start anywhere from six hours to six days after you came in contact with the bacteria.
"Most people recover without treatment after four to seven days," the CDC stated. "[But] some people—especially children younger than 5 years, adults 65 years and older, and people with weakened immune systems—may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization."
The agency said that you should call your healthcare provider if you experience any severe Salmonella symptoms, which include "diarrhea and a fever higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit; diarrhea for more than three days that is not improving; bloody diarrhea; so much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down; and signs of dehydration such as not peeing much, dry mouth and throat, or feeling dizzy when standing up."
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