The Maryland Department of Health is warning consumers to not eat Caribeña’s brand yellow Maradol papayas because they could be contaminated with salmonella bacteria.
The yellow papayas have been distributed to stores throughout the state of Maryland.
State officials discovered the contamination in the course of an ongoing Salmonella case investigation, according to the June 19 warning from the Maryland Department of Health posted the warning.
“Consumers are encouraged to check their papayas and throw them away, if they match the brand and type,” the state warned.
The health department’s Laboratories Administration tested five yellow Maradol papayas, collected from a Baltimore retail location, as part of the ongoing Salmonella investigation. Three of the five yellow papayas tested were confirmed to be contaminated with Salmonella.
The state has not yet identified the source of the contamination. Officials report it could have occurred at any point in the supply chain.
This is a reoccurring issue for this brand of papayas, since a Texas recall for salmonella back in 2012.
Salmonella bacteria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy people infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea that is often bloody, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis.
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