Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce, a San Diego company, has voluntarily issued a recall of its “Limited Edition” brand cucumbers after 285 people across 27 states have become sick and one San Diego woman has died of salmonella after eating the cucumbers. The cucumbers were imported from Mexico. Although the cucumbers have not yet been confirmed as the source of the salmonella, Andrew & Williamson have voluntarily recalled the cucumbers out of an abundance of caution.
In addition to California, the cucumbers were sold in the following states: Alaska; Arizona; Arkansas; Colorado; Florida; Idaho; Illinois; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Minnesota; Mississippi; Montana; Nevada; New Jersey; New Mexico; Oklahoma; Oregon; South Carolina; Texas; and Utah.
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What is Salmonella?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that salmonella is responsible for 1 million illnesses per year, with 19,000 people being hospitalized and 380 people dying. Salmonella is a bacterium and makes people sick when ingested, usually by eating food that is contaminated with the bacterium.
Most people who get infected with salmonella have fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea between 12 and 72 hours of eating contaminated food. The symptoms usually last between 4 and 7 days, and most healthy people recover without medical treatment. In some cases, the diarrhea can be so severe that the infection can spread to the person’s blood stream and other parts of the body. In these cases that involve severe prolonged diarrhea, the person should see his/her doctor or go to the hospital in order to receive treatment with antibiotics. Very young children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems are at the highest risk for serious illness and death when exposed to salmonella. There is no vaccine to prevent salmonella.
How to Prevent Infection
You can follow these simple tips to help prevent a possible contamination and infection:
- Always wash your hands with soap and water after using the restroom and before preparing food or eating food;
- Always wash areas where you prepare food and eat food with soap and water;
- Always wash your hands with soap and water after handling birds, reptiles, or baby chicks, and after handling pet feces (such as when cleaning tanks or cages);
- Be sure to cook meat, poultry, and eggs thoroughly before eating them;
- Do not eat foods with raw eggs or raw milk in them;
- Do not have reptiles, such as turtles, snakes, and lizards, in the same house as infants and/or elderly people; and
- People infected with salmonella should not handle, prepare, or serve food or drink.
What to Do if You have Limited Edition Cucumbers
If you purchased any of the “Limited Edition” cucumbers, you should either return them from the place where you purchased them for a refund or throw them away. If you have any additional questions or concerns about the recall, you can contact Andrew & Williamson either by phone at 844-483-3864 or by e-mail at info@andrew-williamson.com.
Call Us Now
If you believe you or someone you love has been infected with salmonella as a result of ingesting cucumbers, you should call us immediately. The attorneys at Berman & Riedel, LLP have years of personal injury experience to get you all the compensation that you deserve.
