Cantaloupe Salmonella Litchfield Outbreak
In March of 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and several public health departments announced that they were investigating a Salmonella Litchfield outbreak among residents of Canada and 16 states. The Salmonella outbreak had been traced to the consumption of cantaloupe imported from Honduras. FDA issued an import alert regarding cantaloupe grown and packed by Agropecuaria Montelibano of Honduras.
According to a press release issued by CDC, at least 50 people had become ill with Salmonella Litchfield infections between January 18 and March 5, 2008. Victims of the outbreak reside in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin as well as Canada. Fourteen individuals were hospitalized after becoming ill.
Prior Salmonella outbreaks have been traced to Susie and Viva brand cantaloupe, both of which were imported from Mexico.