New salmonella outbreak tied to same Florida grower with tainted cucumbers last year

By JONEL ALECCIA Associated Press Wellbeing Writer U S strength agents are studying a new outbreak of salmonella illnesses tied to a Florida grower whose tainted cucumbers were linked to more than illnesses last year Cucumbers grown by Florida-based Bedner Growers and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales have been linked to illnesses in at least people in states the U S Food and Drug Administration informed late Monday At least nine people have been hospitalized no deaths have been shared The cucumbers were sold to restaurants stores and food organization distributors between April and May and may still be within their shelf life this week Illnesses were communicated between April and April according to the U S Centers for Condition Control and Prevention The outbreak was detected as part of a follow-up inspection in April to a outbreak that sickened people and led to hospitalizations in states and Washington D C In that outbreak investigators identified salmonella bacteria linked to multiple of the illnesses in untreated canal water used at farms operated by Bedner Growers and Thomas Produce Company In the current outbreak agents uncovered salmonella bacteria from samples on the farm that matched samples from people who got sick Wellness authorities are probing where the potentially contaminated cucumbers were distributed Several people who fell ill ate cucumbers on cruise ships leaving ports in Florida according to the CDC Organic cucumbers are not affected leaders mentioned Retailers should notify consumers who may have bought the tainted produce If consumers don t know the source of cucumbers they should throw them away leaders stated Indicators of salmonella poisoning include diarrhea fever severe vomiting dehydration and stomach cramps Bulk people who get sick recover within a week Infections can be severe in young children older adults and people with weakened immune systems who may require hospitalization The Associated Press Wellness and Science Department receives sponsorship from the Howard Hughes Anatomical Institute s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation The AP is solely responsible for all content