Published Date: 2002-05-12 23:50:00
Subject: PRO> Salmonella poona, cantaloupes - USA, Canada: recall
Archive Number: 20020512.4181
SALMONELLA POONA AND CANTALOUPE - USA, CANADA: RECALL
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Date: 22 May 2002
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: AP Online [edited]
Importer Recalls for Cantaloupe
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A McAllen, Texas, importer and distributor of Susie brand cantaloupe
from Mexico said Saturday it was issuing a voluntary nationwide recall
of the product because it has been associated with outbreaks of illness
in the United States and Canada.
In a statement, the I. Kunik Co. said the organism _Salmonella poona_ has
infected dozens of people and can cause serious and sometimes fatal
infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with
weakened immune systems. Healthy people infected with the organism
often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
The cantaloupes were sold in retail stores and restaurants and possibly
other institutions, and they were advised to remove them from sale.
Kunik said recall was triggered after the Food and Drug Administration
traced back the illness reports to the Susie brand fruit. The federal
agency has acted to prevent the importation of any other suspect
cantaloupe, it said.
[_Salmonella poona_ is generally considered to be a relatively uncommon
genus of the organism to be associated with human infection and
has usually been associated with a reptile reservoir. However, as
demonstrated in the previous ProMED citations below, it has also been
linked to the eating of cantaloupes in the past. One outbreak from 1991 was
associated with over 400 human cases of _S. poona_ from cantaloupes.
The edible portion of the fruit becomes contaminated by enteric pathogens
on the rind when the fruit is sliced. It has been recommended that the
fruit should be handled as if it were raw meat by washing hands before and
after handling the fruit and by cold storage of the unused parts quickly.
_S. chester_ and _S. saphra_ have also been linked to cantaloupes in the past.
- Mod.LL]
[Information on a prior outbreak of _S. poona_ associated with cantaloupes
in the USA can be found at MMWR Epidemiologic Notes and Reports Multistate
Outbreak of Salmonella poona Infections -- United States and Canada, 1991.
16 Aug 1991. 40(32);549-552
<http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00014966.htm> - Mod.MPP]
See Also
2001------
Salmonellosis, foodborne - USA (nationwide) (03) 20010530.1057
Salmonellosis, foodborne - USA (background) 20010528.1036
Salmonellosis, foodborne - USA (nationwide) 20010516.0955
2000
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Salmonellosis, foodborne - USA (western states) 20000524.0822
1999
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Salmonella, reptile-associated - USA: Summary 19991112.2022
1996
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Salmonella, fatal, iguana-associated - Indiana (USA) (5) 19960206.0259
Salmonella, fatal, iguana-associated - Indiana 19960202.0245
........................................................................mpp/ll/mpp
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