Amid an ongoing investigation into a fatal Salmonella outbreak in the United States and Canada, a cantaloupe-processing plant in Mexico has tested negative for the bacteria, according to an announcement from Mexico on Tuesday.
In the wake of the outbreak, Mexican health officials in December imposed a temporary shutdown on the plant located in the northern state of Sonora. Samples were collected from various surfaces and water sources within the facility.
The collected samples underwent laboratory analysis and showed no signs of Salmonella strains, as stated by the Mexican agriculture and health authorities. The authorities also stated that a new round of analysis involving water, product, and surface samples from the production and packaging plants is scheduled for February.
The outbreak has been linked to at least 11 fatalities in the United States and Canada. Four of these deaths were reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), while Canada's public health agency (PHAC) reported seven deaths. Both health authorities have implicated Mexico's Malichita- and Rudy-branded cantaloupes as the sources of the outbreak, leading to recalls of the fruit.
Source: www.ctvnews.ca