Federal officials are investigating a salmonella outbreak linked to cucumbers that has sickened 68 people in 19 states, while cucumbers distributed to more than half of states have been recalled.

Arizona business SunFed Produce has recalled cucumbers sold Oct. 12-Nov. 26 in more than two dozen states – including at some Walmart, Wegmans and Albertsons stores – and in parts of Canada because they may be contaminated with salmonella.

Of the 33 people sickened who have been interviewed by state and local health officials, 27 (82%) reported eating cucumbers, the Food and Drug Administration said. No deaths have been reported.

Epidemiologic and traceback data display that cucumbers grown by the produce business Agrotato, S.A. de C.V. in Sonora, Mexico, including recalled cucumbers from SunFed Produce, may be contaminated with salmonella and may be making people ill, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. The FDA had also associated SunFed cucumbers with some salmonella infections, or salmonellosis.

“As soon as we learned of this issue, we immediately acted to protect consumers. We are working closely with authorities and the implicated ranch to determine the feasible factor,” said SunFed president Craig Slate in a press release.

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Walmart, Wegmans, Albertsons among impacted grocers

Walmart alerted customers to the recall on Thursday and posted a list of select stores where the cucumbers had been sold. Those stores, the retailer said, were in Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.

Similarly, Wegmans issued a recall on Thursday alerting customers about potential salmonella contamination for seeded cucumbers purchased through Wednesday, Nov. 27. All potentially impacted cucumbers and products had been removed from store shelves, the retailer said.

Albertsons also issued a recall Thursday of vegetable platters and trays (some with hummus), salad and lettuce mix bowls, and sliced cucumbers, the business said in a press release sent to USA TODAY. The products were sold Oct. 18-Nov. 27 at Albertsons, Randalls and Tom Thumb stores in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.

What states have been impacted by salmonella outbreak tied to cucumbers?

The CDC says 68 people have been sickened in this salmonella outbreak, but there may be more ill people, because many recover without medical worry and are not tested. Here are the number of cases by state, according to the CDC:

• Alaska (1)
• California (1)
• Colorado (8)
• Iowa (2)
• Illinois (2)
• Massachusetts (5)
• Montana (16)
• Nebraska (1)
• recent Jersey (1)
• recent York (1)
• Ohio (1)
• Oregon (7)
• Pennsylvania (1)
• South Dakota (4)
• Texas (5)
• Utah (2)
• Washington (5)
• Wisconsin (3)
• Wyoming (2)

States where cucumbers possibly linked to salmonella were sold

The whole fresh American cucumbers were sold by SunFed and other importers, then shipped to customers located in 26 states. However, the cucumbers may also have reached consumers through food service and retail outlets in additional states, the FDA said.

Here’s the list of states where recalled cucumbers were sold, according to the FDA and retailers that sold the recalled items:

• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Florida
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Kansas
• Louisiana
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nevada
• recent Jersey
• recent York
• North Carolina
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Virginia
• Washington
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

The cucumbers were also sold in these Canadian provinces:

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Calgary
• Saskatchewan
• Ontario

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Symptoms of salmonella infection

Salmonella is a bacteria that can enter the food production chain when the procedure isn’t sanitary and when workers handling food do not wash their hands, the FDA says. Salmonella can be spread via contaminated water errantly used to irrigate crops, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

Symptoms of salmonella infection, or salmonellosis, usually occur between six hours and six days after exposure and may include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, the CDC says.

Severe infections may include aches, headaches, elevated fever, lethargy, rashes, and blood in the urine or stool. Some salmonella infections may become fatal.

Salmonella causes about 1.35 million illnesses, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths in the U.S. annually, according to the CDC.

Earlier this summer, a salmonella outbreak linked to recalled cucumbers (not linked to SunFed) sickened at least 449 in 31 states, the CDC said. Other recent salmonella outbreaks have been linked to pet bearded dragons, backyard poultry and basil, the agency says.

Salmonella and cucumbers: What consumers should do

If you have any cucumbers you ponder may be involved in the recall, you should not consume or serve them, the FDA says. Consumers who are unsure if they have purchased the recalled product are advised to contact their retailer.

Some person whole American cucumbers may also bear a sticker (as shown below); Wegmans’ recall notice said some of the cucumbers sold in its stores could have the sticker.

Customers who bought person cucumbers wouldn’t likely view any labels. “My advice is that if you have cucumbers and do not recognize if they are or are not the recalled product – when in question, throw it out,” food safety lawyer invoice Marler told USA TODAY Friday.

Consumers may get additional information by calling SunFed’s recall hotline (888) 542-5849, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mountain period (10 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET).

If you ponder you had potentially contaminated cucumbers, you should tidy and sanitize any surfaces that may have arrive into contact with the cucumbers to reduce cross-contamination, the FDA says.If you ponder you have consumed a recalled product and do not feel well, contact your health worry provider, the agency suggests.

This narrative was updated to add additional information and additional states where cucumbers were sold.

pursue Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider.

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