On July 26, Grande Produce recalled Caribeña brand Maradol papayas that were distributed between July 10 and July 19, 2017. Based on the available evidence, CDC recommends that consumers not eat, restaurants not serve, and retailers not sell Maradol papayas from Mexico until we learn more about other possible brands that might be linked to this outbreak
As of July 21, 2017, 47 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Kiambu have been reported from 12 states. A list of the states and the number of cases in each can be found on the Case Count Map page. WGS showed that isolates from people infected with Salmonella Kiambu are closely related genetically. This close genetic relationship means that people in this outbreak are more likely to share a common source of infection.
Illnesses started on dates ranging from May 17, 2017 to June 28, 2017. Ill people range in age from less than 1 year to 95, with a median age of 27. Among ill people, 67% are female. Among 3 people with available information, 18 (58%) are of Hispanic ethnicity. Among 33 people with available information, 12 (36%) report being hospitalized. One death was reported from New York City.
How to Identify a Maradol papaya
Maradol papayas are a large, oval fruit that weighs 3 or more pounds, with green skins that turn yellow when the fruit is ripe. The flesh inside the fruit is salmon-colored. A sticker on the Maradol papaya should say if the papaya is Caribeña brand and if it is from Mexico.
If you aren’t sure if the papaya you bought is a Maradol papaya from Mexico, you can ask the place of purchase. Restaurants and retailers can ask their supplier.
- A sticker on the Maradol papaya should say if the papaya is Caribeña brand and if it is from Mexico.
- If you aren’t sure if the papaya you bought is a Maradol papaya from Mexico, you can ask the place of purchase. Restaurants and retailers can ask their supplier.
Contact a healthcare provider if you think you got sick from eating contaminated papaya.
Most people infected with Salmonella develop the following signs and symptoms 12-72 hours after being exposed to the bacteria:
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Abdominal cramps
Investigation of the Outbreak
Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence collected to date indicate that Maradol papayas imported from Mexico are a likely source of this multistate outbreak. This investigation is ongoing.
In interviews, ill people answered questions about the foods they ate and other exposures in the week before they became ill. Eleven (44%) of 25 people interviewed reported eating papayas. This proportion was significantly higher than results from a survey of healthy Hispanic people in which 16% reported eating papayas in the months of May and June in the week before they were interviewed.
An illness cluster in Maryland was identified. An illness cluster is defined as two or more people who do not live in the same household who report eating at the same restaurant location, attending a common event, or shopping at the same location of a grocery store in the week before becoming ill. In Maryland, several ill people reported eating papayas purchased from the same location of a grocery store. Salmonella Kiambu and Salmonella Thompson were isolated from samples collected from ill people.Investigating illness clusters provides critical clues about the source of an outbreak. If several unrelated ill people ate or shopped at the same location of a restaurant or store within several days of each other, it suggests that the contaminated food item was served or sold there.
