New Salmonella Outbreak!!! DO NOT EAT CUCUMBERS!!!!!

Okay, here we go again.  American cucumbers that were grown at the San Diego based Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce are contaminated with Salmonella Poona. The infected cucumbers have been found in at least 22 states so far, and left 1 person dead and 300 hospitalized.

The outbreak began in early July and 53 people have reportedly been hospitalized. Andrew & Williamson has voluntarily recalled its “Limited Edition” brand label because it may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The Limited Edition cucumbers (also known as “slicer” or “American” cucumbers) were distributed in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah, and the CDC says they may have been distributed to retailers in other states as well. (Whole Foods told Associated Press this weekend that it did not carry the recalled cucumbers as originally thought.)

Salmonella Poona isn’t as common as Salmonella Enteritidis, but the symptoms — fever, vomiting, diarrhea — are the same, Benjamin Chapman, PhD, an assistant professor and food-safety extension specialist at North Carolina State University, tells Yahoo Health.

“It’s not one that we see every year,” he says, adding that Salmonella Poona outbreaks have also been linked to imported cantaloupes and turtles.

 Mike Doyle, PhD, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia, tells Yahoo Health that contamination usually occurs when the outside of the cucumber comes in contact with fecal matter, usually from contaminated irrigation water or manure.

It’s also possible that the inside of the cucumber could be contaminated, says Chapman, adding that “everything the cucumber comes into contact with, from farm to fork, could lead to contamination.”

While it’s likely that the contamination is on the skin of the cucumber, Chapman says it’s too early to tell with this outbreak. And, he adds, it’s safer to assume that your entire cucumber may be infected.

So people, please call the store where you purchased your cucumbers and ask where they got them from or just to be safe, toss them out and don't even take a chance. Especially, if you are elderly or if you have small children or if your immune system is compromised. These 3 groups are especially at risk for salmonella poisoning.