CDC Issues Food Safety Alert for LTC Facilities

The CDC has issued a food safety alert regarding an outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to cantaloupes.

The CDC is concerned about this outbreak because the illnesses are severe, and people in long-term care facilities and childcare centers have gotten sick. Do not eat pre-cut cantaloupes if you don’t know whether Malichita or Rudy brand cantaloupes were used.

What Long-Term Care Facilities and Hospitals Should Do

• Do not use any recalled whole or pre-cut cantaloupes.
• Do not serve any cantaloupe that was supplied pre-cut if you don’t know whether Malichita or Rudy brand cantaloupes were used.

Key Points:

• Since the last update on November 24, 2023, an additional 18 people infected with this outbreak strain of Salmonella have been reported from two additional states, resulting in a total case count of 117 people from 34 states.
• Interviews with sick people and laboratory findings continue to show that cantaloupes are making people in this outbreak sick.
  • As previously reported, Malichita and Rudy brand whole cantaloupes have been recalled. Many pre-cut cantaloupe products have also been recalled. New recalls include pre-cut cantaloupe products from Kwik Trip, Bix Produce, and Kroger, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Trader Joe’s.
  • CDC advises people not to eat pre-cut cantaloupes if they don’t know whether Malichita or Rudy brand whole cantaloupes were used.
• CDC is concerned about this outbreak because illnesses are severe with more than half hospitalized, and people in long-term care facilities have gotten sick.
  • Half of sick people in this outbreak are adults 65 years or older, and 14 people resided in long-term care facilities before they got sick.
  • CDC advises facilities that care for people who are at higher risk for severe illness to not serve cantaloupes that may be contaminated. This includes recalled cantaloupes and cantaloupes that were supplied pre-cut if the brand of whole cantaloupes used is not known.

What You Should Do:

• Do not eat pre-cut cantaloupes if you don’t know whether Malichita or Rudy brand cantaloupes were used.
  • This includes cantaloupe chunks and fruit mixes with cantaloupes at restaurants and grocery stores.
• Do not eat any recalled whole or pre-cut cantaloupe products.
  • If you have any, throw them away or return them to the store.
  • If the whole cantaloupe does not have a sticker, check with the store to make sure it is not a Malichita or Rudy brand cantaloupe.
• Wash items and surfaces that may have touched the cantaloupe using hot soapy water or a dishwasher.
• Call your health-care provider if you have any of these severe Salmonella symptoms:
  • Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
  • Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving
  • Bloody diarrhea
  • So much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down
  • Signs of dehydration, such as:
    • Not peeing much
    • Dry mouth and throat
    • Feeling dizzy when standing up

What Businesses Should Do

• Do not sell or serve recalled cantaloupes or products made with recalled cantaloupes, even if they have been washed.
  • Washing does not remove all germs and does not make recalled products safe to eat.
• Wash and sanitize items and surfaces that may have come in contact with recalled cantaloupes.

Salmonella Symptoms:

• Most people infected with Salmonella experience diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.
  • Symptoms usually start 6 hours to 6 days after swallowing the bacteria.
  • Most people recover without treatment after 4 to 7 days.
• 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.
• For more information about Salmonella, see the Salmonella Questions and Answers page.