2019 Salmonella Infections Linked to Cut Fruit – Map of Reported Cases – Outbreak Investigation Updates by Date
Final Update
Published on February 18, 2020 at 2:30 PM ET
This outbreak appears to be over. CDC recommends that consumers, restaurants, and retailers choose and handle fruit safely to help prevent foodborne illness. Wash hands and food preparation surfaces before and after handling fruit. Refrigerate cut fruit at 40°F or colder.
January 2, 2020
Since the last update on December 11, 85 additional ill people have been reported from 11 states. These illnesses started during the same time period as the illnesses reported in the last update, but were not confirmed as part of the outbreak at that time.
As of December 30, 2019, a total of 96 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Javiana have been reported from 11 states. Illnesses were reported from states where Tailor Cut Produce distributes, including Pennsylvania, New York City, New Jersey, and Delaware. Ill people from other states reported traveling to these states in the week before their illness started. A list of the states and the number of cases in each can be found on the Map of Reported Cases page.
Illnesses started on dates ranging from November 15, 2019, to December 10, 2019. Ill people range in age from less than 1 to 92 years, with a median age of 27 years. Fifty-one percent of ill people are male. Of 41 ill people with information available, 27 were hospitalized for their Salmonella infection. No deaths have been reported.
Illnesses might not yet be reported due to the time it takes between a person becoming ill and when the illness is reported. This takes an average of 3 to 4 weeks.
WGS analysis did not identify antibiotic resistance in bacteria isolated from 14 ill people. Testing of outbreak isolates using standard antibiotic susceptibility testing methods by CDC’s National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) laboratory is underway.
Investigation of the Outbreak
Epidemiologic and traceback evidence indicate that cut fruit including honeydew melon, cantaloupe, pineapple, and grapes produced by Tailor Cut Produce of North Brunswick, New Jersey, is a likely source of this outbreak.
State and local public health officials have interviewed ill people to determine what they ate and other exposures in the week before their illness started. Thirty (86%) of thirty-five ill people reported eating cut fruit served in long-term care facilities, hospitals, hotels, schools, or at a university. State health officials collected records from the locations where ill people ate the fruit mix and determined that these facilities served Tailor Cut Produce Luau Mix as well as cut honeydew melon, cantaloupe, pineapple, and grapes.
The investigation is ongoing to determine the source of contamination. CDC will provide updates when more information becomes available.
December 11, 2019
CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Javiana infections.
Public health investigators are using the PulseNet system to identify illnesses that may be part of this outbreak. PulseNet is the national subtyping network of public health and food regulatory agency laboratories coordinated by CDC. DNA fingerprinting is performed on Salmonella bacteria isolated from ill people by using a standardized laboratory and data analysis method called whole genome sequencing (WGS). CDC PulseNet manages a national database of these sequences that are used to identify possible outbreaks. WGS gives investigators detailed information about the bacteria causing illness. In this investigation, WGS showed that bacteria isolated from ill people were closely related genetically. This means that people in this outbreak are more likely to share a common source of infection.
As of December 11, 2019, a total of 11 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Javiana have been reported from two states. The ill person from Minnesota traveled to New York City in the week before their illness. A list of the states and the number of cases in each can be found on the Map of Reported Cases page.
Illnesses started on dates ranging from November 21, 2019, to November 28, 2019. Ill people range in age from 34 to 87 years, with a median age of 75. Fifty-five percent of ill people are female. Of 10 ill people with information available, 8 were hospitalized for their Salmonella infection. No deaths have been reported.
Illnesses might not yet be reported due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported. This takes an average of 2 to 4 weeks. Please see the Timeline for Reporting Cases of Salmonella Infection for more details.
WGS analysis did not identify antibiotic resistance in one bacterial isolate from an ill person. Testing of outbreak isolates using standard antibiotic susceptibility testing methods by CDC’s National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) laboratory is underway.
Investigation of the Outbreak
Epidemiologic and traceback evidence indicate that Fruit Luau cut fruit mix with cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple, and grapes produced by Tailor Cut Produce of North Brunswick, New Jersey, is a likely source of this outbreak.
State and local public health officials are interviewing ill people to determine what they ate and other exposures in the week before their illness started. Five (83%) of six ill people reported eating cut fruit served in long-term care facilities, a hospital, or a hotel. State health officials collected records from the locations where ill people ate the fruit mix and determined that these facilities served Tailor Cut Produce Luau Mix as well as cut honeydew, cantaloupe, pineapple, and grapes.
The investigation is ongoing to determine the source of contamination and if other products are linked to illness. CDC will provide updates when more information becomes available.
