Minnesota now has 20 sickened by Salmonella tainted Cantaloupe

MPR reports that Minnesota health officials say there are now 20 confirmed cases of salmonella in the state linked to contaminated cantaloupe — including two deaths. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration first issued a national recall of some brands of whole and pre-cut cantaloupe on Nov. 9; that recall has since been expanded.

The Minnesota Department of Health is working with the state Department of Agriculture, the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate the outbreak. 

“Currently we are still in the middle of the investigation trying to determine where people were exposed who became ill,” Carlota Medus, supervisor for MDH’s foodborne diseases unit, said late last week. “Were they exposed by the initial cantaloupe that was contaminated, or were they exposed and ate cantaloupe that was not the recall cantaloupe or was a cross-contamination event or some other situation?”

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