Image via WikipediaAlthough no cases of outbreak-related illness have been reported in New Jersey, health officer George Sartorio, of the Cumberland County Health Department, offered precautions to concerned residents.“To avoid any type of food-borne illness or otherwise, (residents) should make sure to wash their hands before and after handling cantaloupes, especially whole ones. Wash (cantaloupes) and dry them with a paper towel before cutting them,” Sartorio said.
“They should be kept refrigerated, cut melon especially. But there haven’t been cases in New Jersey, so that’s a good thing.”
The county health department has not been taking extraordinary measures to search for tainted cantaloupes since the recall is currently voluntary, said Sartorio.
“At this time, as we’re out there looking around during the normal course of inspections, we’d make note if we do find any, but if these types of things were in the area, we’d know,” he said.
However, to educate residents, Sartorio advised that symptoms of listeriosis may include fever, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhea upon the onset of the illness.
“If it progresses, you’ll get things like headache, stiff neck, things like that,” Sartorio said. “It’s normally just kind of like flu-like symptoms, which is kind of how you miss it. Normally you wouldn’t know you had it unless you had a weakened immune system and got into a more serious disease; it’s normally just mild.”
Pregnant women, infants, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are at the greatest risk of serious illness.
As of Monday morning, a total of 72 persons infected with the four outbreak-associated strains of Listeria monocytogenes had been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All these illnesses manifested on or after July 31, and cases have been reported in 18 states across the country.
According to the CDC, the recent cantaloupe-related listeriosis outbreak has resulted in 13 deaths reported nationwide.
“People who think they might have become ill from eating contaminated cantaloupe should consult their doctor immediately,” said Acting Commissioner of Health and Senior Services Commissioner Dr. Tina Tan. “Patients can develop listeriosis up to two months after eating contaminated food.”
Thankfully, representatives from Shoprite, Acme and C-Town supermarkets said on Thursday that none of their stores are affected by the voluntary recall of the contaminated Colorado cantaloupes. All three supermarkets sell California cantaloupes, which have been unaffected by the bacteria in question.
The state Department of Agriculture clarified on Wednesday that New Jersey-grown cantaloupes have also not been affected by the outbreak or voluntary recall.
NJDHSS advised consumers with questions regarding the origin of a cantaloupe to consult the retailer where the melon was purchased. Rocky Ford cantaloupes from Jensen Farms should be disposed of in a closed plastic bag placed in a sealed trash can to prevent people or animals from eating them, NJDHSS recommended.
Food items other than cantaloupes can also carry Listeria bacteria, but the risk can be lowered by rinsing raw produce thoroughly in running tap water and drying the produce with a clean cloth or paper towel before cutting it, according to NJDHSS.
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