WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 (UPI) -- Two people have died and more than 300 people across 30 states have been sickened after eating salmonella-tainted cucumbers grown in Mexico.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a total of 341 people have been affected, a significant jump since Sept. 4, when the cucumbers were recalled. So far, 70 people have been hospitalized and two deaths -- in California and Texas -- have been reported. Of those sick, 53 percent are children.
Investigators linked the illnesses back to cucumbers imported from Mexico and distributed by Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce.
The cucumbers are commonly referred to as "slicer" or "American" cucumbers and are dark green and about 7 to 10 inches long. The cucumbers were sold under the "Limited Edition" brand and shipped in green and black cardboard boxes. Labeling on the cases of recalled cucumbers indicates the product was grown and packed by Rancho Don Juanito in Mexico.
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"Every effort has been taken to remove this product from the market and we have stopped all harvesting and packing operations at the grower's facility," the company said in a written statement.
Most people infected with salmonella develop symptoms, which include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, within 12 to 72 hours of being exposed to the bacteria. Most people recover within a week.
The number of ill people from the cucumbers reported from each state is as follows: Alaska (9), Arizona (66), Arkansas (6), California (72), Colorado (14), Hawaii (1), Idaho (8), Illinois (6), Kansas (1), Kentucky (1), Louisiana (4), Minnesota (12), Missouri (8), Montana (10), Nebraska (2), Nevada (7), New Mexico (18), New York (4), North Dakota (1), Ohio (2), Oklahoma (8), Oregon (8), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (7), Texas (18), Utah (30), Virginia (1), Washington (10), Wisconsin (2), and Wyoming (3).
