Untreated water used by a Florida cucumber grower is a likely source of salmonella food poisoning that sickened nearly 450 people across the country this spring.
Salmonella found in untreated canal water used by Bedner Growers Inc. of Boynton Beach, Florida, matched a strain of the bacteria that caused some of the illnesses, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
The canal water was not applied to edible parts of the cucumber plants but was used for subsoil watering.
"Whole Genome Sequencing analysis determined that the Salmonella found in the water used by Bedner Growers, Inc. is a match to a strain of Salmonella Braenderup that is causing some of the illnesses in this outbreak," the FDA said. "Additional types of Salmonella were detected in both soil and water samples collected at Bedner Growers, Inc. CDC and FDA are looking to see if these strains have caused illness in people."
As of July 1, a total of 449 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Africana and Salmonella Braenderup have been reported from 31 states and Washington, D.C. Of these illnesses, 215 people were infected with the newly added Salmonella Braenderup. A total of 125 people were so sick, they had to be hospitalized.
Nearly 70% of sick people interviewed reported eating cucumbers before they fell ill.
States with cases include: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C.
The investigation is continuing.
The FDA pointed out that Bedner Growers' cucumber growing and harvesting season is over, and no products from this farm are on the market. It added that there is "likely no ongoing risk to the public."
Eating food contaminated with salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses.
Symptoms of salmonellosis include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 6 hours to 6 days after eating the contaminated product. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days.
Most people recover without treatment. In some cases, however, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Older adults, infants, and persons with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop a severe illness and sometimes fatal infections.