2 dead, 178 sick; are consumers responsible for Salmonella in the field or packing shed? FDA confirms outbreak strain in cantaloupe

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says salmonella found at a cantaloupe farm in southwestern Indiana matches the DNA fingerprint of the Salmonella Typhimurium responsible for a deadly outbreak that sickened people in 21 states.

FDA spokeswoman Shelly Burgess said Tuesday that testing was done on salmonella found on cantaloupes and surface areas at Chamberlain Farms in Owensville.

The results showed that the salmonella was of the same strain that caused the recent outbreak, which killed two Kentucky residents and sickened 178 people, including 62 who were hospitalized.

From August 14 to 16, FDA investigators collected samples from surface areas at the farm as well as samples of cantaloupe at Chamberlain Farms. Samples of cantaloupe collected at Chamberlain Farms show the presence of Salmonella Typhimurium bacteria with a DNA fingerprint that matches the outbreak strain.

A table of cantaloupe-related outbreaks is available at http://bites.ksu.edu/cantaloupe-related-outbreaks.