CDC investigates jalapeño Salmonella outbreak

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on August 5 that it is investigating a multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeño peppers from Sinaloa, Mexico. The agency said 345 people in 27 states have been infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Javiana, 36 have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported. The Food and Drug Administration said traceback and epidemiologic data point to fresh jalapeños distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors. Illnesses in the outbreak began between June 19 and July 20, according to the CDC. The agency said the reported total is likely an undercount because many people recover without medical care or testing, and recent illnesses may not yet appear in the data because it can take three to four weeks to link a case to an outbreak. ### Which jalapeños are under scrutiny? (cdc.gov) The FDA said the recalled product is fresh jalapeños from Sinaloa, Mexico, distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors to wholesalers and restaurants nationwide. The agency told consumers, restaurants and distributors not to eat, serve or sell those peppers while the investigation continues. (cdc.gov) Coast Citrus Distributors’ jalapeños were primarily sent to restaurants or wholesale channels, the CDC said. The FDA said Coast Citrus does not appear to supply jalapeños directly to grocery stores, but it is still working to determine the full distribution of the product. ### How did investigators connect the illnesses to restaurants? (fda.gov) The CDC said 177 of 191 interviewed patients, or 93%, reported eating at a Mexican-style restaurant in the week before getting sick. The agency said those reports included meals at Chipotle Mexican Grill and QDOBA, with meal dates ranging from June 14 to July 14. The CDC said many sick people were identified in illness clusters, which it defines as two or more people from different households who ate at the same restaurant, attended the same event or shopped at the same grocery location in the week before becoming ill. (fda.gov) The agency said those clusters can provide critical clues about a common source. ### Are Chipotle and QDOBA still part of the risk? (cdc.gov) Chipotle switched jalapeño suppliers for stores beginning July 20, the FDA said. QDOBA stopped using jalapeños on July 28 and is no longer serving them, according to the agency. The FDA said it does not consider either chain a current ongoing risk to consumers in this outbreak because they removed the affected product from stores. (cdc.gov) The CDC repeated that assessment in its media alert. ### What symptoms should consumers watch for? The FDA said Salmonella illness usually begins 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food and typically lasts four to seven days. (fda.gov) Symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. The CDC said children younger than 5, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop severe illness. (fda.gov) The agency advised people who think they became sick after eating a dish with jalapeños to contact a healthcare provider, and told businesses not to sell or serve recalled peppers and to wash and sanitize surfaces that may have touched them. ### What happens next in the investigation? The FDA said on August 5 that its advisory will be updated as additional information becomes available. The agency said it is working with Coast Citrus Distributors to determine the full distribution of the jalapeños and whether affected product also reached grocery stores, which could lead to additional recalls posted on the FDA recalls page. (fda.gov)