Outbreak of Salmonella Infections Linked to Pre-Cut Melons
April 24, 2019 at 5:00 PM ET
CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Carrau infections linked to pre-cut melons supplied by Caito Foods LLC.
- Reported Cases: 117
- States: 10
- Hospitalizations: 32
- Deaths: 0
- Recall: Yes
Do not eat, serve, or sell recalled pre-cut melon and fruit medley products produced by Caito Foods LLC and sold under several brands and labels.
- On April 12, 2019, Caito Foods LLC recalledExternal pre-cut watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and pre-cut fruit medley products containing one of these melons supplied at the Caito Foods LLC facility in Indianapolis, Ind.
- Recalled pre-cut melons were packaged in clear, plastic clamshell containers.
- The products were distributed in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
- These products were sold at Kroger under the Renaissance Food Group label and the Boar’s Head private label; at Target under the Garden Highway Label; at Trader Joe’s under the Trader Joe’s label; at Walmart under a Freshness Guaranteed label; and at Amazon/Whole Foods under the Whole Foods Market label. Check FDA’sExternal website for a full list of where recalled products were sold.
- These products were distributed by Caito Foods Distribution with the label “Distributed by Caito Foods;” by Gordon Foods Service with the label “Distributed by Caito Foods”; and by SpartanNash Distribution with the label “Open Acres.”
- If you cannot determine if any pre-cut melon you purchased was produced by Caito Foods LLC, don’t eat it and throw it away.
- Check your fridge and freezer for recalled products and throw them away or return them to the place of purchase for a refund. Follow these steps to clean your fridge if you had any recalled product.
Contact a healthcare provider if you think you got sick from consuming pre-cut melon.
- Most people infected with Salmonella develop the following signs and symptoms 12 to 72 hours after eating a contaminated product:
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Abdominal cramps
- A total of 117 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Carrau have been reported from 10 states.
- Illnesses started on dates ranging from March 4, 2019 to April 8, 2019.
- 32 people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
- Most of the ill people are adults over the age of 50 years.
- Epidemiologic and traceback evidence indicates that pre-cut melons supplied by Caito Foods LLC is the likely source of this outbreak.
- On April 12, 2019, Caito Foods LLC recalled pre-cut watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and pre-cut fruit medley products containing one of these melons produced at the Caito Foods LLC facility in Indianapolis, Ind.
- This investigation is ongoing, and CDC will provide updates when more information is available.
- Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 12 to 72 hours after being exposed to the bacteria.
- The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment.
- In some people, the illness may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other places in the body.
- Children younger than 5 years, adults older than 65 years, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.
April 24, 2019
CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationExternal are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Carrau infections.
Public health investigators are using the PulseNet system to identify illnesses that may be part of this outbreak. PulseNet is the national subtyping network of public health and food regulatory agency laboratories coordinated by CDC. DNA fingerprinting is performed on Salmonella bacteria isolated from ill people by using techniques called pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and whole genome sequencing (WGS). CDC PulseNet manages a national database of these DNA fingerprints to identify possible outbreaks. WGS gives a more detailed DNA fingerprint than PFGE. WGS showed that isolates from ill people were closely relatedly genetically. This means that people in this outbreak are more likely to share a common source of infection.
The multistate investigation began on April 2, 2019, when PulseNet identified the outbreak. As of April 24, 2019, 117 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Carrau have been reported from 10 states. A list of the states and the number of cases in each can be found on the Map of Reported Cases page.
Illnesses started on dates ranging from March 4, 2019, to April 8, 2019. Ill people range in age from less than one to 98 years, with a median age of 53. Fifty-eight percent are female. Of 88 people with information available, 32 (36%) have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
Illnesses might not yet be reported due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported. This takes an average of 4 weeks. Please see the Timeline for Reporting Cases of Salmonella Infection for more details.
Investigation of the Outbreak
Epidemiologic and traceback evidence indicate that pre-cut melon supplied by Caito Foods LLC of Indianapolis, Ind. is the likely source of this multistate outbreak.
In interviews, ill people answered questions about the foods they ate and other exposures in the week before they became ill. Forty-six (73%) of 63 people interviewed reported eating pre-cut melons purchased at grocery stores, including pre-cut cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew, or a fruit salad mix or fruit tray with melon. Five additional people reported eating pre-cut melon outside the home.
Information collected from stores where ill people shopped indicates that Caito Foods LLC supplied pre-cut melon to these stores. On April 12, 2019, Caito Foods, Inc. recalledExternal pre-cut watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and pre-cut fruit medley products containing one of these melons produced at the Caito Foods LLC facility in Indianapolis, Ind.
This investigation is ongoing, and CDC will provide updates when more information is available.
Previous Updates >>
- FDA Investigating a Multistate outbreak of Salmonella Carrau Linked to Pre-cut MelonsExternal
- Caito Foods, LLC Voluntarily Recalls Fresh Cut Melon Product Because of Possible health RiskExternal
- CDC’s Food Safety Information
- Salmonella and Food
- Fruit and Vegetable Safety
- Cleaning Your Refrigerator Because of a Food Recall
- How to Report a Foodborne Illness