The CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the FDA are investigating a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to pre-cut melon.
As of June 7, 60 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Adelaide have been reported from five states. States that have reported illnesses include Illinois (6 cases), Indiana (11), Michigan (32), Missouri (10), and Ohio (1).
Illnesses started on dates ranging from April 30 to May 28. Ill people ranged in age from less than 1 year to 97, with a median age of 67. Sixty-five percent are female. Out of 47 people with information available, 31 (66%) have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
Illnesses that occurred after May 20 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 2 to 4 weeks.
Epidemiologic and preliminary traceback evidence indicates that pre-cut melon supplied by the Caito Foods, LLC of Indianapolis, Indiana is a 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. Twenty-five (64%) of 39 people interviewed reported eating pre-cut melon purchased from grocery stores, including cantaloupe, watermelon, or a fruit salad mix with melon. An additional seven people reported consuming melons but did not specify if it was pre-cut.
Information collected from stores where ill people shopped indicates that Caito Foods, LLC supplied pre-cut melon to these stores. On June 8, 2018, Caito Foods, LLC recalled fresh cut watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and fresh-cut fruit medley products containing one of these melons produced at the Caito Foods facility in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The full list of stores distributing this product is available on the FDA’s website and may expand to include other stores as the investigation continues. Consumers who have purchased recalled pre-cut melon from these stores, including fruit salad mixes with pre-cut melon, should not to eat it and throw it away.
