INDIANAPOLIS — Some of the melon being recalled as part of a multi-state salmonella outbreak has been linked to an Indiana distributor.
The US Food and Drug Administration, which is investigating the outbreak alongside the CDC, is working to identify a supplier of pre-cut melon to stores where ill people shopped but says retailers should not serve pre-cut melon products distributed by Indianapolis company, Caito Foods Distribution, Gordon Food Service or SpartanNash Distribution.
Consumers who purchased pre-cut watermelon or cantaloupe from Costco, Walmart, Kroger, Jay C or Payless stores in Indiana or Michigan should not eat it and are advised to throw it away.
At least 60 people have been sickened in eight states including 11 in Indiana, 32 in Michigan, 10 in Missouri, six in Illinois and one in Ohio.
The Center for Disease Control says 31 people have been hospitalized so far in the outbreak but no deaths have been reported.
The advice from the CDC does not apply to whole melons. It only applies to pre-cut melon and fruit salad mixes containing melon.
The CDC estimates salmonella causes about 1.2 million illnesses, 23,000 hospitalizations and 450 deaths in the United States every year.
Most people recover from a salmonella infection without treatment. However, for some, diarrhea may be so severe that hospitalization is necessary. In rare cases, an infection can lead to death unless a patient receives prompt treatment with antibiotics.
(PHOTO: RTV6)
