Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Health today advised businesses to not sell or distribute pre-cut fruit products (cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple, grapes) from Tailor Cut Produce in North Brunswick, NJ, because it may be linked to a Salmonella outbreak in southeast Pennsylvania.
“We recommend that any facility who use Tailor Cut Produce pre-cut fruit to immediately stop and throw it away,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “The cases have been seen in facilities that provide care to some of our most vulnerable patients. Tailor Cut Produce is working with health officials and will be issuing a voluntarily recall. All of the healthcare facilities involved in this outbreak have removed this product from their kitchens and are working with us to determine the source of the contamination.”
The department is currently investigating 31 laboratory-confirmed illnesses of Salmonella at four healthcare facilities in southeast Pennsylvania. Salmonella Javiana has been identified among cases at three of four facilities. Epidemiologic evidence collected this far indicates that this fruit is the likely source of the illnesses.
Salmonellosis is an infection caused by Salmonella bacteria that generally affects the intestinal tract, and occasionally the bloodstream and other organs. People generally become infected by Salmonella by either eating or drinking contaminated food or water, by contact with infected people or animals, or through contact with contaminated environmental sources.
Symptoms of Salmonella include diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever. Diarrhea is sometimes bloody. Symptoms usually begin within 12 to 72 hours after exposure, but they can begin up to a week or more after exposure. Salmonella infections usually resolve in five to seven days, but may require hospitalization, especially for patients who are immunocompromised. Invasive infections (for example, blood stream infections, meningitis) may occur. In rare cases, Salmonella infections can lead to death.
Salmonella is one of the more common causes of diarrhea and/or vomiting with approximately 2,000 cases reported annually in Pennsylvania and 40,000 cases reported annually in the United States.
Any person who may have consumed pre-cut fruit that originated from Tailor Cut Produce and became ill is recommended to contact their health care provider to assure appropriate specimens are collected and treatment is administered if necessary. Sick individuals, health care providers, or laboratories can contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health at 1-877-PA-HEALTH (1-877-724-3258).
For more information about Salmonella and other illnesses, visit the Department of Health website at www.health.pa.gov or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brittany Lauffer, 717-856-0364 or blauffer@pa.gov.
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