CHICAGO – JULY 22: Jalapeno peppers sit on a cutting block. Jalapeño peppers have recently been implicated in a Salmonella outbreak affecting 27 states. (Photo Illustration by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
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Nearly 350 Americans have been sickened, with 36 hospitalized across 27 states from a Salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeno peppers, according to the CDC.
Investigators have traced the outbreak to a bacterium known as Salmonella Javiana in jalapeno peppers grown in Sinaloa, Mexico and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors. Some restaurants like Chipotle and QDBOA have removed affected jalapenos from their restaurants, and federal officials do not currently consider those establishments an ongoing risk from this outbreak.
How Do You Get Salmonella?
The most common way to get this bacterial infection is by drinking contaminated water or eating contaminated foods, most commonly produce, poultry or eggs. Jalapenos, like other produce, are frequently eaten raw which puts these foods at risk since heating and cooking can effectively eliminate and kill the bacteria responsible for Salmonella.
Cross-contamination can also occur when produce or other infected foods come into contact with cutting boards, countertops or other surfaces. When individuals touch these surfaces and then touch their mouths, they can also become infected.
What Are The Symptoms?
Most people start to show symptoms about six hours to six days after exposure to contaminated foods. Classic symptoms associated with Salmonella include fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. The diarrhea can be watery or bloody. The most important concern with this type of infection is dehydration, since individuals can lose a tremendous amount of fluids due to diarrhea. Young children, the elderly, pregnant females and those with weakened immune systems are most at risk of having complications and experiencing severe disease.
How Long Are You Contagious?
Individuals can be contagious with Salmonella, because the disease can be spread when an infected individual touches surfaces and then others touch them and then put their hands in their mouths. Patients are most contagious when they are having active symptoms like diarrhea, but can remain contagious for weeks and even months after symptoms resolve because they still shed the bacteria in their stool. Thus, it is critical to continue washing your hands thoroughly for weeks even after symptoms resolve to mitigate the risk of transmitting the infection.
How Is It Treated And How Do You Avoid Getting Salmonella?
For most healthy individuals, no specific treatment is given since the disease is usually self-limiting and resolves in a couple of days. Most patients do well with supportive therapy only, with fluids and replacement of electrolytes. Antibiotics like Ciprofloxacin and Azithromycin, while available, are only reserved for those with severe disease since they can prolong the shedding of the bacteria in stool and can contribute to unnecessary antibiotic resistance.
People can protect themselves by washing their hands, washing produce, cooking and heating produce and avoid eating raw foods and unpasteurized milk.
When Should You See A Doctor?
The most common reason to see a doctor would be if you were showing signs of dehydration such as having a dry mouth, decreased urination or dizziness. If that is the case, you would need to go to the emergency room for IV fluids and further evaluation. Other reasons to consider getting medical attention would include bloody diarrhea, diarrhea lasting more than two days or a high fever above 102 degrees Fahrenheit.
Why Are We Seeing So Many Foodborne Illnesses?
The Salmonella outbreak comes on the heels of the largest Cyclospora outbreak on record in the United States. There are several reasons these outbreaks can appear increasingly prominent. Americans consume an enormous amount of produce year-round, which are at risk for contamination. The average American eats roughly 200 pounds of vegetables and 100 pounds of fruit annually, according to the USDA Economic Research Service. In addition, produce is distributed through a complex supply chain, and these foods can become contaminated during irrigation, manufacturing, transportation and handling at a restaurant or at home.
Furthermore, in the case of Cyclosporiasis, federal cuts in CDC staff as well as resources may have played a role in the delayed surveillance of monitoring foodborne illnesses. The CDC layoffs last year affected thousands of employees, some of whom monitored foodborne illnesses. The CDC also downsized a lab that helped monitor cases of Cyclosporiasis.
A safe food supply requires robust surveillance, rapid laboratory testing, strong regulatory oversite and adequately staffed public-health agencies. By the time a foodborne illness makes national headlines, the contamination may have already traveled hundreds or thousands of miles.