Death by Salmonella Cantaloupe – 4 dead in US – 6 dead in Canada

In the United States as of December 15, 302 people infected with one of the outbreak strains of Salmonella have been reported from 42 states. Of 263 people with information available, 129 (49%) have been hospitalized. Four deaths have been reported, three from Minnesota and one from Oregon.

States impacted: Alaska 1, Arkansas 2, Arizona 14, California 14, Colorado 9, Connecticut 2, Florida 1, Georgia 6, Iowa 8, Illinois 18, Indiana 7, Kansas 2, Kentucky 8, Massachusetts 2, Maryland 6, Michigan 6, Minnesota 26, Missouri 15, Mississippi 1, Montana 2, North Carolina 6, Nebraska 7, New Hampshire 1, New Jersey 6, New Mexico 2, Nevada 5, New York 10, Ohio 13, Oklahoma 4, Oregon 6, Pennsylvania 5, Rhode Island 1, South Carolina 9, South Dakota 1, Tennessee 5, Texas 23, Utah 11, Virginia 7, Washington 4, Wisconsin 22, West Virginia 3 and Wyoming 1.

Forty people resided at long-term care facilities when they got sick. Of 17 interviewed, 11 reported eating cantaloupe. Thirty children attended childcare centers when they got sick. Of 26 children with information available, 17 ate cantaloupe.

In Canada as of December 15, there have been 153 laboratory-confirmed cases of Salmonella illness linked to this outbreak in the following provinces: British Columbia (17), Alberta (3), Ontario (20), Quebec (103), Prince Edward Island (2), New Brunswick (2), Nova Scotia (4) and Newfoundland and Labrador (2). 

Fifty-three (53) individuals have been hospitalized. Six deaths have been reported. Individuals who became ill are between 0 to 100 years of age. Most of the individuals who became sick are children 5 years of age or younger (35%), or adults 65 years of age or older (44%). Half of the cases (50%) are female.

Republished with permission from Bill Marler and Marler Clark. Copyright (c) Marler Clark LLP, PS. All rights reserved.