Since November, public health authorities in the U.S. and Canada have been tracking cases of salmonellosis among consumers of both whole and portioned cantaloupe. The pathogen responsible is Salmonella Sundsvall isolated from both product and patients. Effective December 17th, Canada has recorded 164 confirmed cases with seven fatalities. Thirty-six percent of the cases investigated were in patients under five years of age and 45 percent were above 65 years old. In the U.S. 302 cases have been confirmed in 42 states with four fatalities and a hospitalization rate of approximately 30 percent.
Implicated cantaloupes were grown in Mexico and distributed under the Malichita or Rudy brands. Both whole and portioned cantaloupes were distributed widely in the U.S. by retail chains.
Since the affected product has been recalled and in any event is now beyond 
expiration date, incident cases will decline sharply. The implicated packing plant was closed by authorities in Mexico.
The factors contributing to infection are currently under investigation but unless there is some resolution on causation reoccurence will be a constant threat.