Fresh Plaza: A salmonella outbreak linked to watermelons has affected 35 people in the UK, health experts have revealed. One person has died, although they had serious underlying health issues. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said three times the usual number of cases of Salmonella Newport infection for this time of year had been seen. Cases of illness caused by the same strain have been seen in Ireland and Germany. Over 200 cases of Salmonella Newport are reported in the UK each year. Around 70% of cases were in women, and the East of England has had more cases than other regions. Experts say
there are two possible ways watermelons could have caused infection. One is that the surface of the melons could have been contaminated with Salmonella bacteria which may have transferred on to the flesh of the melon during the cutting process. The second is if the melons were stored or washed in contaminated water, the salmonella bacteria could have got into the flesh of the melon through the cut stem. "Although it's too soon to say with certainty what the likely cause of infection is, early indications suggest that a number of people became unwell after eating watermelon," said Dr Bob Adak, head of the gastrointestinal diseases department at the HPA, which has been monitoring the outbreak in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Read Full: UK: Salmonella identified in watermelons
