Death Toll Rises to 8 in Salmonella Outbreak Tied to Contaminated Cantaloupes and Cut Fruit

Three people in America and five people in Canada have died, according to the CDC and the Public Health Agency of Canada

The number of dead and sick people in the United States and Canada has risen in connection to a salmonella outbreak.

Three people in America and five people in Canada have died, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Public Health Agency of Canada, since the outbreak began in the middle of November. The outbreak is connected to whole and pre-cut cantaloupes from multiple fruit brands.

230 people in the U.S. have been reported as sick from 38 states and 96 of sick people have been hospitalized.

The outbreak is tied to multiple fruit brands — specifically whole cantaloupes with stickers reading “Malichita” or “Rudy" and featuring the number “4050” and “Product of Mexico/produit du Mexique"; Vinyard brand pre-cut cantaloupes sold in Oklahoma between Oct. 30 and Nov. 10; and ALDI whole cantaloupe and pre-cut fruit products with best-buy dates between Oct. 27 and Oct. 31 in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin.

The recall also includes some Freshness Guaranteed and RaceTrac pre-cut cantaloupes sold in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia with best-buy dates between Nov. 7 and Nov. 12. A list of all the specific products and best-buy dates can be found on the FDA website.

According to a chart from the CDC, the first illnesses were reported on Oct. 17.

"The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses," the CDC noted. "This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for salmonella. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak."

Related: Another Family Sues Panera, Claiming Its 'Charged Lemonade' Contributed to Death of 46-Year Old Customer

The CDC is urging businesses to not "sell or serve recalled cantaloupes and products made with recalled cantaloupe," and to "wash and sanitize items and surfaces."

Those infected with salmonella experience symptoms such as diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Health officials in Canada are also investigating the outbreak, per the CDC.

As previously reported, the CDC notes that salmonella bacteria causes about 1.35 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths in the U.S. each year.

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