U.S. health officials confirmed that one person died from a salmonella infection from eating a papaya imported into the country from Mexico. They are now asking the public to refrain eating these papayas imported from the neighboring nation until the all clear signal is given by the health departments. The Salmonella outbreak has not only killed one in New York but has also sickened 46 others across 12 different states.
U.S. Health officials warn people against consuming papayas from Mexico
A press release from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states they are currently working with state health departments to battle the growing number of salmonella cases across the country.
It was also revealed that the infection mainly arose from the Caribena brand Maradol papayas from Mexico. The FDA suggests that the potentially infected Maradol papayas have a yellow, green or red sticker that says 'Caribena Papayas.' Consumers should avoid eating these papayas.
Genetic testing has also conclusively proven that the infected papayas from a Maryland grocery store were responsible for causing the illness among those infected. Health officials also reported that three of the five papayas brought from the Baltimore store were infected with salmonella. Health officials first suspected the particular store, when several of the ill people reported to have visited the store and eaten the Papaya from their stock.
New York and New Jersey has 13 and 12 reported cases, respectively, while Virginia has six known cases and Maryland has five ill people. Pennsylvania has four reported cases, while Kentucky, Iowa, Louisiana, Texas, Minnesota, Utah, and Massachusetts each have one case. The FDA also revealed that Grande Produce, the company behind the distribution of Caribena brand Maradol papayas, has issued a limited recall of the fruits that were sold between July 7 and July 18.
However, the company has not issued a news release announcing the recall.
Thus, the FDA has asked people to avoid all Caribena brand Maradol papayas for now. This is because it cannot be verified whether only the most recent batch is tainted or whether previous batches were infected with Salmonella as well. The FDA is also currently investigating the few known cases of the disease in states where the Caribena brand Maradol papayas are not available or sold.
Salmonella symptoms and signs
Salmonella is a bacterium which when infects a person can cause diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting, and fever. However, it is most severe in the case of small children or aged adults, who have weakened immune systems compared to others. However, with proper diagnosis and care, the disease can be treated with no lasting effects on the health.
