CDC says US salmonella outbreak tied to jalapeno peppers from Mexico

Lead

At least 345 people across 27 US states have been reported sick from a salmonella strain linked to jalapeño peppers, according to Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera reported that the multistate outbreak has been traced to a grower in Sinaloa, Mexico; that most cases have been reported in Minnesota and Colorado; that no deaths have been recorded; and that at least 36 people have been hospitalised.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Wednesday that the peppers were moved into the United States by Coast Citrus Distributors, according to Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera also reported that the company recalled the peppers and is notifying its customers, which include Chipotle and Qdoba. Al Jazeera noted that salmonella bacteria cause about 1.35 million infections in the US every year and can lead to diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps within hours or days of exposure.

Coverage comparison

Al Jazeera's coverage focused on the public-health scale of the outbreak, the CDC's tracing work and the response from restaurant chains. It reported that Chipotle Mexican Grill said Tuesday it had removed jalapeños from some of its restaurants, and that Qdoba said Wednesday it had proactively removed jalapeños from all of its restaurants. The CDC said that, given their actions, neither establishment was considered a current ongoing risk to consumers in the outbreak.

The Guardian's coverage centered on Chipotle's corporate response. The company said it began tracing ingredients through its supply chain after learning of a potential outbreak and identified jalapeños from a common lot as a possible source. "Out of an abundance of caution, we proactively removed the jalapenos from our restaurants and replaced them with product from different growers," Chipotle said, adding that it was cooperating with public health authorities. Shares of Chipotle fell 7% in Tuesday afternoon trading, The Guardian reported.

The Guardian also noted that Bloomberg News had earlier reported that Chipotle removed jalapeños from multiple stores in Minnesota after learning the peppers may be linked to a salmonella outbreak in that state that has sickened 110 people. The Guardian said that outbreak was separate from one centering on cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness that has affected nine states and sickened more than 6,700 people nationwide, including two in Michigan who died. An FDA investigation linked the cyclosporiasis outbreak to iceberg lettuce sourced from privately held Taylor Farms operations in central Mexico, according to The Guardian, which added that authorities were still looking for other potential sources.

Key Claims

• At least 345 people across 27 US states have been reported sick from a salmonella strain linked to jalapeño peppers; most cases have been reported in Minnesota and Colorado, with at least 36 people hospitalised and no deaths recorded (Al Jazeera).
• The outbreak has been traced to a grower in Sinaloa, Mexico; the CDC said the peppers were moved into the US by Coast Citrus Distributors, which recalled them (Al Jazeera).
• Chipotle removed jalapeños from some of its restaurants after identifying a common lot as a possible source, replacing them with product from different growers; its shares fell 7% (The Guardian).
• Qdoba said it had proactively removed jalapeños from all of its restaurants (Al Jazeera).
• The CDC said neither Chipotle nor Qdoba was considered a current ongoing risk to consumers in the outbreak (Al Jazeera).
• The FDA is investigating whether any jalapeños were distributed through grocery stores and may announce additional actions on its recalls webpage (Al Jazeera).
• In a separate outbreak, the FDA linked cyclosporiasis to iceberg lettuce sourced from Taylor Farms in central Mexico (The Guardian).

Perspectives

The CDC has said the outbreak is linked to jalapeño peppers from a grower in Sinaloa, Mexico, and that Coast Citrus Distributors moved the peppers into the US. It said Chipotle and Qdoba removed product from their stores and that neither is currently considered an ongoing risk to consumers.

Chipotle said it acted "out of an abundance of caution" after identifying jalapeños from a common lot as a possible source. It said it replaced the peppers with product from different growers and is cooperating with public health authorities investigating the outbreak.

Qdoba said it had proactively removed jalapeños from all of its restaurants.

The FDA is investigating whether any jalapeños reached grocery stores, and has separately linked a cyclosporiasis outbreak to iceberg lettuce sourced from Taylor Farms in central Mexico, while continuing to look for other potential sources.