title: Outbreak of Salmonella Newport infections linked to cucumbers--United States, 2014.
abstract: In August 2014, PulseNet, the national molecular subtyping network for foodborne disease surveillance, detected a multistate cluster of Salmonella enterica serotype Newport infections with an indistinguishable pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern (XbaI PFGE pattern JJPX01.0061). Outbreaks of illnesses associated with this PFGE pattern have previously been linked to consumption of tomatoes harvested from Virginia's Eastern Shore in the Delmarva region and have not been linked to cucumbers or other produce items. To identify the contaminated food and find the source of the contamination, CDC, state and local health and agriculture departments and laboratories, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted epidemiologic, traceback, and laboratory investigations. A total of 275 patients in 29 states and the District of Columbia were identified, with illness onsets occurring during May 20-September 30, 2014. Whole genome sequencing (WGS), a highly discriminating subtyping method, was used to further characterize PFGE pattern JJPX01.0061 isolates. Epidemiologic, microbiologic, and product traceback evidence suggests that cucumbers were a source of Salmonella Newport infections in this outbreak. The epidemiologic link to a novel outbreak vehicle suggests an environmental reservoir for Salmonella in the Delmarva region that should be identified and mitigated to prevent future outbreaks.
authors.forename: Kristina M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Angelo
authors.forename: Alvina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Madhu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anand
authors.forename: Thai-An
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Lyndsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bottichio
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wise
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seelman
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fatica
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lance
authors.forename: Deanna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baldwin
authors.forename: Kyle
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shannon
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eija
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Trees
authors.forename: Errol
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Strain
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gieraltowski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018553:Cucumis sativus / Q000382:microbiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012475:Salmonella / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012478:Salmonella Food Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology