31 Sickened In Southeastern PA Salmonella Outbreak

SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA — A total of 31 people have been sickened by salmonella at four different healthcare facilities around southeastern Pennsylvania, the state Health Department has confirmed.

The cases are under investigation. At least some of them have hit Chester County hospitals and long-term care facilities, but officials declined to say which facilities, nor did they elaborate on where else in the region other cases had been confirmed.

Several of the cases were reported around Thanksgiving weekend at Chester County Hospital.

Thus far, officials are warning that the contamination likely stems from pre-cut fruit made by Tailor Cut Produce, based in North Brunswick, New Jersey. Businesses have been warned not to distribute their pre-cut fruit products, including grapes, pineapple, cantaloupe, and honeydew.

No deaths have occurred, though many of the victims have been hospitalized.

An outbreak that was also traced to pre-cut melons hit the state back in April. It involved a different company, however: Caito Foods LLC, based in Indianapolis.

According to the CDC, symptoms of a salmonella infection include:

• Diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 12 to 72 hours after being exposed to the bacteria.
• The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment.
• In some people, the illness may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. The infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other places in the body.
• Children younger than 5 years, adults older than 65 years, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.

If you believe you may have consumed pre-cut fruit from Tailor Cut Produce and became ill, contact your local health care provider to assure appropriate samples are collected. You can contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health for more information at 1-877-PA-HEALTH.