Nationwide Recall of Cucumbers Linked to Salmonella Includes Washington

A food safety alert on a Salmonella outbreak linked to cucumbers was issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You may recall there was an earlier recall of cucumbers.

125 people were hospitalized and 449 people were reported sick in the U.S. across 31 states, including Washington. No deaths have been reported. According to the CDC:

Testing identified the Salmonella Braenderup strain in untreated canal water used by a grower in Florida. An additional grower has been identified as a likely source of illnesses in this outbreak; however, there aren’t any products on the market and likely no ongoing risk to the public. Cucumbers from both of these growers are no longer in season and products are no longer on shelves.

What are symptoms of Salmonella?

Healthy people infected with Salmonella can experience symptoms including diarrhea, fever, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Symptoms usually start 6 hours to 6 days after swallowing the bacteria. Most people recover without specific treatment and should NOT take antibiotics. In rare cases, the bacteria may get into the bloodstream and cause severe infections. For more inforation, go here.

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Risk to consumers is believed to be low at this time.

The affected cucumbers were shipped to distributors in May and are no longer on the shelves. Follow four safety steps to prevent getting sick from Salmonella.

• Clean: Wash your hands, utensils, and surfaces often. Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water before eating, cutting, or peeling.

• Separate: Keep food that won’t be cooked separate from raw meat, poultry, and seafood.

• Cook: Use a food thermometer to make sure you have cooked your food to a temperature high enough to kill germs.

• Chill: Refrigerate perishable food (food that goes bad) within 2 hours. If the outside temperature is hotter than 90°F, refrigerate within 1 hour. Thaw food in the refrigerator, not on the counter.