The CDC reports today that the outbreak investigation has expanded to include another strain of Salmonella.
Sixty-four more ill people from 15 states were added to this investigation since the last update on July 21, 2017.
Six more states have reported ill people: Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin
Laboratory tests showed that the strain of Salmonella Thompson isolated from papayas collected in Maryland is closely related genetically to clinical isolates from ill people.
FDA tested other papayas imported from Mexico and found they were contaminated with several types of Salmonella.
A total of 109 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Kiambu (48) or Salmonella Thompson (61) have been reported from 16 states – Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin
Thirty-five ill people have been hospitalized. One death has been reported from New York City.
Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence indicates that Maradol papayas imported from Mexico are the likely source of this multistate outbreak.
At this time, Caribeña brand papayas from Mexico have been identified as one brand linked to the outbreak. On July 26, Grande Produce recalled Caribeña brand Maradol papayas that were distributed between July 10 and July 19, 2017.
Through testing, the FDA has also identified Maradol papayas from the Carica de Campeche papaya farm in Mexico as a likely source of the outbreak. The agency is working to identify other brands of papayas that may have originated from Carica de Campeche and facilitate recalls.
CDC recommends that consumers not eat, restaurants not serve, and retailers not sell Maradol papayas from Mexico.