Mexican jalapeños tied to 345 Salmonella illnesses

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on August 6 that 345 people in 27 states have been sickened in a Salmonella outbreak tied to jalapeño peppers from Mexico. The agency said 36 people have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported. The Food and Drug Administration said traceback data point to jalapeños from Sinaloa, Mexico that were distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors. Coast Citrus is recalling affected peppers and notifying customers, while the federal investigation remains open. ### Which peppers are investigators focusing on? CDC investigators said epidemiologic and traceback evidence show jalapeño peppers from Sinaloa, Mexico may be contaminated with Salmonella Javiana. The FDA said the peppers were distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors to distributors, restaurants and food-service companies, including Mexican-style restaurants in the United States. (cdc.gov) August 5 is the date on the CDC and FDA investigation updates now posted online. The CDC’s media release said Coast Citrus peppers were primarily distributed to restaurants or wholesale customers rather than sold directly to consumers through ordinary retail channels. ### How large is the outbreak, and where has it spread? (cdc.gov) The CDC said 345 people have gotten sick with the same outbreak strain across 27 states. The agency said the earliest reported illness onset was June 19, according to published outbreak materials. Thirty-six hospitalizations have been reported, according to the CDC and CNBC’s account of the federal investigation. (cdc.gov) No deaths have been reported. ### Why are Chipotle and Qdoba part of the story? Chipotle Mexican Grill and Qdoba stopped serving affected jalapeño peppers after being notified about the outbreak, the CDC said in its media release. (cdc.gov) CNBC reported the recalled peppers had been sent to restaurants including Chipotle and QDOBA. TODAY reported that Minnesota public health investigators have identified 110 Salmonella cases in that state that are part of the outbreak and said the illnesses may be linked to jalapeños served at Mexican-style quick-service restaurants. (cdc.gov) USA Today reported that Chipotle removed jalapeños from its restaurants nationwide after the Minnesota outbreak was linked to the peppers. ### What are health officials telling people to do now? The CDC said restaurants, retailers and distributors should not sell or serve recalled jalapeños tied to the outbreak. The agency also said people who have recalled peppers should throw them away and wash items and surfaces that touched them. Salmonella symptoms can include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, and illness usually begins six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria, according to CDC guidance linked from the outbreak page. (today.com) Most people recover without treatment, but young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems can face more severe illness. (cdc.gov) ### Where will the next official updates appear? The CDC said it will post additional case counts and investigation findings on its outbreak page as the inquiry continues. The FDA is also maintaining a separate outbreak page with recall and traceback updates involving Coast Citrus Distributors and jalapeños from Sinaloa, Mexico. (cdc.gov)