An outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium infections traced to imported cucumbers has ended with 113 patients confirmed.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the first outbreak patients developed symptoms in mid-October. The most recent person became ill on Dec. 7. The Food and Drug Administration first reported the outbreak on Nov. 26 when 68 people had been confirmed as outbreak patients.
On Nov. 27, 2024, SunFed Produce LLC initiated a recall of whole cucumbers grown by Agrotato, S.A. de C.V. in Sonora, Mexico. On Nov. 29, 2024, Baloian Farms initiated a voluntary recall of all sizes of cucumbers that were grown by Agrotato, S.A. de C.V.
At least a dozen products containing sliced or otherwise ready-to-eat cucumbers were recalled in relation to the outbreak. According to the FDA, all implicated cucumbers and related products have expired and are no longer on the market. The cucumbers were distributed nationwide in the United States and Canada.
Outbreak patients lived in 23 states. Of 99 people for whom information was available, 28 required hospitalization. That is a higher than usual percentage suggesting that the strain of Salmonella was particularly virulent. No deaths were reported. Of 69 people interviewed, 56 reported eating cucumbers before becoming sick.
There were probably many more people sickened in the outbreak than were confirmed. For every confirmed Salmonella illnesses, 29 others go unconfirmed, according to the CDC. This is because some patients do not seek medical attention and others are not specifically tested for Salmonella infection.
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