Cucumbers have been all the rage lately thanks to TikTok's viral cucumber salad and the meteoric social media rise of the platform's Logan "Cucumber Boy" Moffitt — and thankfully, it appears home cooks are safe to indulge in the trend, too, as a "multi-state outbreak" of salmonella tied to contaminated cucumbers is finally waining.
As the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) wrote in a report released and updated last week, by July 2, a total of "449 people infected with one of the outbreak strains of Salmonella Africana and Salmonella Braenderup have been reported from 31 states and the District of Columbia." One hundred and twenty-five of those infected were also hospitalized, though none died as a result of the infection, according to the report.
Based on traceback information collected, the CDC writes that Bedner Growers, Inc. and Thomas Produce Company — both located in Florida — are "likely sources of illnesses in this outbreak," however, the organization notes "these growers do not account for all the illnesses in this outbreak."
Now, as the companies' respective growing and harvesting seasons are over, "there is no product form these farmers on the market and likely no ongoing risk to the public," wrote the CDC.
"The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses," the agency's report continues. "This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak."
