Salmonella outbreak linked to tainted jalapeños isn’t over

Key Points:

• At least 431 people across 32 states have fallen ill due to salmonella contamination linked to fresh jalapeño peppers grown in Mexico and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors, with 57 hospitalizations reported and no deaths so far.
• Jalapeños were served at Mexican-style restaurants like Chipotle and Qdoba, which removed the peppers from their menus, while retailers including Whole Foods, Kroger, Target, Trader Joe’s, and Walmart recalled products containing the contaminated peppers.
• The CDC warns the actual number of salmonella cases is likely higher due to reporting delays, and symptoms typically include diarrhea, stomach cramps, and fever.
• Concurrently, the U.S. is experiencing a large cyclosporiasis outbreak, primarily linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms in Mexico, with over 15,700 confirmed cases and 828 hospitalizations, including two deaths in Michigan.
• Taylor Farms recalled over 236,000 cases of lettuce and salad mixes distributed to multiple retailers, though the outbreak is not fully explained by this source, and Taco Bell-related products accounted for less than 2.5% of recalled lettuce.