A Salmonella outbreak has sickened dozens in the tri-state, and killed one person in New York City, the CDC says. Checkey Beckford reports.
What to Know
- 1 person from New York City is dead; he or she is among 25 people in New York and New Jersey sickened by Salmonella-tainted papaya
- The CDC has declared a multi-state Salmonella outbreak from yellow Maradol papayas
- The CDC has reported 47 people of all ages with Salmonella from the 12 states
A New Yorker has died from Salmonella they contracted from eating papayas, federal health officials say, and at least 25 people in New Jersey and New York have been infected.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared a multi-state Salmonella outbreak from yellow Maradol papayas, a fruit with green skin that turns yellow when ripe.
Twelve people in New Jersey and 13 people in New York have been infected, officials say — more than any other states affected by the outbreak, which has also hit 10 other states, including Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Maryland.
So far, the CDC has reported 47 people of all ages with Salmonella from the 12 states. Twelve of the people who were infected reported being hospitalized, but the only fatality is the person from New York City, officials say. It’s unclear if they are a man or a woman, or from what borough they hailed.
Public health officials identified the first Salmonella cluster in Maryland. Lab evidence suggested that the yellow Maradol papaya from a common grocery store was the root of the bacteria outbreak.
Reports of Salmonella in the fruit first cropped up in mid-May. Cases have continued into the summer, officials say.
Local
The symptoms of Salmonella include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps, which can appear up to three days after eating the fruit, according to the CDC. However, it takes an average of two to four days for people to report the illness.
For now, the CDC recommends that consumers stop eating yellow Maradol papayas, and restaurants and retailers stop selling it until further notice.
An investigation into the Salmonella outbreak is ongoing. For more on the outbreak, head to CDC.gov.
