More than 150 Americans have become ill and 54 have been hospitalized after eating cucumbers contaminated with salmonella, a report shows.
The CDC revealed the link to cucumbers in an update today, saying that some of the foods consumed by patients had tested positive for the bacteria.
Many had also reported eating cucumbers before becoming ill, the researchers said, with symptoms including diarrhea, bloody stools and vomiting.
No deaths have been reported, but authorities warn that young children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems are at higher risk of contracting the disease.
Cucumbers contaminated with salmonella are believed to have sickened and hospitalized dozens of people in at least 25 states.
The cucumbers were sold in bulk by Florida-based Fresh Start Produce Sales, and many are believed to have already been repackaged for stores.
Researchers linked the spate of illnesses to cucumbers after interviewing patients about their diet in the days and weeks before they became ill.
Cucumbers have already been recalled from 14 states and the affected foods had been distributed before May 24.
They were sold in bulk by Florida-based Fresh Start Produce Sales, and many are believed to have already been repackaged for stores.
It was unclear how salmonella, which is normally found in the intestines of cows and chickens, had contaminated the cucumbers.
But experts warned that cucumber plants could contract the bacteria if they were irrigated with water contaminated with animal feces, and salmonella could stick to the outside of the cucumbers and leaves.
Salmonella can also contaminate a manufacturing facility if it reaches machinery, which will then spread the bacteria to other cucumbers.
The patients came from 25 states and reported falling ill between March 11 and May 16 of this year, although more recent cases may not have been reported yet.
Patients reported falling ill between March 11 and May 16 of this year, although more recent cases may not have been reported yet.
The majority of patients are female, of white ethnic origin and have an average age of about 40 years, although the patients included a one-year-old child.
The states that reported sick patients were: Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, Virginia, Ohio, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Kentucky, Michigan, Rhode Island, Iowa, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland , Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Indiana, Maine and Missouri.
Healthy people infected with salmonella may experience fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain that lasts a few days.
In many cases, this can be treated with bed rest and pain relievers.
But, in more severe cases, the bacteria can enter the body’s bloodstream, where it can cause life-threatening complications, such as sepsis.
It is commonly contracted by eating raw or undercooked meat, unpasteurized milk, or unwashed fruits and vegetables.
About 1.35 million salmonella infections are reported in the United States each year, while 26,500 people are hospitalized and 420 die from the disease.