INDIANAPOLIS -
Health officials in Indiana and Kentucky say they are investigating farms, distributors and retailers after an outbreak of salmonella that has sickened 150 people nationwide was linked to cantaloupe grown in the southwestern part of Indiana.
Officials Friday advised all Indiana residents to discard cantaloupes purchased since July 7.
The Kentucky Department of Public Health warned people not to eat cantaloupes grown in southwestern Indiana after tests found the fruit carried the same strain of salmonella that has killed two and sickened more than 50 in Kentucky.
Salmonella infections result in diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps and the illness usually lasts four to seven days. Health officials say most people recover without treatment but severe infections can occur in infants, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.
The Tennessee Department of Health says six people in Tennessee have been sickened by salmonella that has been traced back to cantaloupes from Indiana.
The outbreak has killed two people in Kentucky and sickened at least 141 people across several states.
Tennessee deputy epidemiologist John Dunn told WPLN-FM that the outside of the melon is contaminated and when someone cuts through a melon, the salmonella spreads to the flesh of the melon that people consume.
Dunn recommends consumers ask about where the cantaloupes are grown when they purchase them and that any melons from southwestern Indiana should be thrown out.
Information from: WPLN-FM
Copyright © 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This story may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and WTHR. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
