Tainted cantaloupe sickens 17 in Illinois

Illinois health officials say an outbreak of infection from the salmonella bacteria is linked to cantaloupes grown on a farm in southwestern Indiana.

The Department of Public Health announced Monday that the outbreak includes 17 cases in Illinois. Of those, eight people have been hospitalized. More than 140 people have been infected in 20 states.

Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck of the health department says consumers shouldn’t eat cantaloupes grown in southwestern Indiana and should get medical help if they get sick after eating cantaloupe. Retailers and food service operators should not sell or serve cantaloupe from southwestern Indiana.

Symptoms of salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Most people recover without treatment. But the elderly, infants and people with compromised immune symptoms can get dangerously sick from the bacteria.