ATLANTA — Health officials are urging Georgians to be cautious after several people got sick from eating contaminated pre-cut cantaloupe.
At least five Georgia residents were infected with salmonella after eating the rotten fruit, according to a news release by the Georgia Department of Public Health. So far, at least 117 people across the country have gotten sick, and nearly half of those people have had to be admitted to the hospital.
One person from Georgia was hospitalized but has already been released, according to health officials. The cases have been found across the state. It is not concentrated in any one place. The salmonella cases also range in age from 1 to 81.
The cantaloupe that was recalled in Georgia can be found in pre-cut chunks or fruit mixes and was sold at Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe's and Kroger stores. Whole cantaloupes that have the sticker "Malichita" or "Rudy" with the number 4050 and “Product of Mexico/produit du Mexique" are also contaminated, the release stated.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urges people to not eat any cantaloupe if you can't verify it's not a Malichita or Rudy brand. They also recommend throwing the cantaloupe away if it has been recalled.
Symptoms of salmonella include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Most people who are infected recover within four to seven days without medication.
However, officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they are concerned about the outbreak because the people who have gotten sick from the cantaloupe have had severe illnesses with fevers higher than 102 degrees.
Health officials said rinsing the fruit can remove some germs, but it does not reduce your chances of getting salmonella.
For more information about the salmonella outbreak related to cantaloupe, click the link here.