According to Bloomberg News, Salmonella linked to cantaloupes are responsible for killing two people and sickening 141 others in 20 U.S. states. Among those sickened, 31 were hospitalized. Kentucky had the most reports of illness, 50, followed by Alabama, 7; Arkansas, 3; California, 2; Georgia, 1; Illinois, 17; Indiana, 13; Iowa, 7; Michigan, 6; Minnesota, 3; Missouri, 9; Mississippi, 2; New Jersey, 1; North Carolina, 3; Ohio, 3; Pennsylvania, 2; South Carolina, 3; Tennessee, 6; Texas, 1; and Wisconsin, 2.
“It is great that state health departments give us the numbers, but why not the name of the farm where the cantaloupes were grown, and more importantly, what grocery stores they were sold at,” Bill Marler, a lawyer at Marler Clark LLP in Seattle who represents more than 40 victims of the Jensen Farms outbreak, said in an e-mail.
Since the story broke of yet another recall and outbreak linked to cantaloupe – this time Salmonella with nearly 150 sick in several states with two dead – I have received several phone calls from clients from last year’s Listeria cantalupe outbreak – 137 sick with likely 37 dead. This should not be happening again. Let’s hope that I can stop updating my chart.
No. |
Year |
State(s) |
Confirmed Illnesses |
Pathogen |
Description |
1. |
1985 |
Wisconsin |
16 |
Campylobacter |
Melon or cantaloupe |
2. |
1990 |
30 states |
245 |
Salmonella |
Cut cantaloupe at salad bars |
3. |
1991 |
International, including U.S. |
400 |
Salmonella |
Likely Mexican cantaloupe |
4. |
1997 |
California |
24 |
Salmonella |
Mexican cantaloupe. |
5. |
1998 |
Ontario, Canada |
22 |
Salmonella |
Cantaloupe |
6. |
1999 |
Iowa |
61 |
Norovirus |
Restaurant, cantaloupe or melon |
7. |
2000 |
California, Oregon, Colorado, Washington, New Mexico, Nevada |
47 |
Salmonella |
Mexican cantaloupe |
8. |
2001 |
Multi-state and International |
50 |
Salmonella |
Viva Brand cantaloupe |
9. |
2002 |
California, Minnesota, Oregon, Arkansas, Vermont, Nevada, Texas |
58 |
Salmonella |
Susie Brand cantaloupe |
10. |
2003 |
New York, Ohio, New Mexico, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Missouri |
58 |
Salmonella |
Day care center and private homes, cantaloupe/honeydew melon |
11. |
2006 |
Multi-State and International |
41 |
Salmonella |
Cantaloupe cut at processing facility in Canada |
12. |
2007 |
California |
11 |
Salmonella |
Private home |
13. |
2008 |
Multi-State |
53 |
Salmonella |
Agropecuraria Mobtelibano cantaloupe, from Honduras |
14. |
2008 |
California |
23 |
Norovirus |
Restaurant, melon and cantaloupe |
15. |
2011 |
Multi-State |
20 |
Salmonella |
Del Monte cantaloupe |
16. |
2011 |
Multi-State |
147 |
Listeria |
Jensen Farms cantaloupe |
17. |
2012 |
Multi-State |
141 |
Salmonella |
Indiana Farm cantaloupe |