Dozens sick from salmonella poisoning linked to cantaloupes, health officials say

A salmonella outbreak from cantaloupes has made dozens sick, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Friday.

A total of 43 people have gotten sick from salmonella, with 17 needing to be hospitalized across 15 states, the CDC said. The highest density of illness was in Arizona, where seven people were infected.

Impacted fruit includes whole cantaloupes sold between Oct. 16 and Oct. 23 and pre-cut Vinyard brand cantaloupe sold between Oct. 30 and Nov. 10.

The risk also includes Aldi brand whole and pre-cut cantaloupe sold between Oct. 27 and Oct. 31 in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

The CDC has asked consumers to throw out recalled fruits and to wash their food carefully.

Symptoms from salmonella poisoning include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. Severe cases, especially among children, the elderly and immunocompromised, can result in hospitalization or even death.

The number of people impacted by the outbreak is likely higher than what is reported, as salmonella symptoms can take days to surface and it takes time to determine if a case is related to the outbreak.