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Montana Salmonella Outbreak Traced To Cucumbers

At least eleven people in eight Montana counties have tested positive for salmonella poisoning believed to be linked to cucumbers.
PD
At least eleven people in eight Montana counties have tested positive for salmonella poisoning believed to be linked to cucumbers.

Update: since this story was first published, the CDC has confirmed that contaminated cucumbers have been found in 27 states, including Montana.  

At least 11 people in eight Montana counties have tested positive for salmonella poisoning.  As Steve Jess reports, the food-borne contamination could be much more widespread.

The eleven case are spread throughout the state, but investigators have determined they all spring from a single source.

"We’ve seen a lot of individuals with salmonella who have the same pattern, that is, the same genetic makeup, so that prompted us to do some further investigation," says Dana Fejes, an epidemiologist with the state’s Department of Public Health.

The outbreak has been traced to store-bought cucumbers. But she says officials still don't know which stores or distributors are involved.

"The cucumbers we’re concerned about are in grocery stores at this time, and we're expecting a list from our federal partners in the very near future, hopefully by this afternoon, to find out where those cucumbers were distributed to, so we can remove the product from the shelves."

State officials say similar contamination is being investigated in 26 other states. This evening, the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that report.

For now, health officials say it’s best to thoroughly wash cucumbers and all fresh vegetables before serving, and if in doubt, throw it out.

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