Key points
ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø and public health officials in several states are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to whole cucumbers. Since the last update on May 23, 2025, FDA testing identified the outbreak strain, as well as additional Salmonella strains, in cucumbers. The recalled cucumbers should no longer be for sale.
Investigation details
ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are collecting different types of data to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Montevideo infections.
Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback data show that cucumbers may be contaminated with Salmonella and may be making people sick.
Epidemiologic data
As of May 30, 2025, a total of 45 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella have been reported from 18 states. Eight sick people reported taking a cruise during the seven days prior to becoming sick, all departing from locations in Florida. Three people traveled on the same ship. Sick people were aboard 6 different cruise ships that departed the United States between March 30 and April 12. Illnesses started on dates ranging from April 2, 2025, to May 10, 2025. Of the 40 people with information available, 16 have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported.
The true number of sick people in this outbreak was likely much higher than the number reported, and this outbreak may not have been limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.
Public health officials collect many different types of information from sick people, including their age, race, ethnicity, other demographics, and the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. This information provides clues to help investigators identify the source of the outbreak.
The table below has information about sick people in this outbreak ("n" is the number of people with information available for each demographic).
Age
(n=45)
Range from 2 to 84 years
Median age of 50
Sex
(n=45)
76% female
24% male
Race
(n=40)
80% White
20% African American/Black
0% Native American or Alaska Native
0% Asian
0% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
0% reported more than one race
Ethnicity
(n=39)
90% non-Hispanic
10% Hispanic
State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. Of the 27 people interviewed so far, 24 (89%) reported eating cucumbers. This percentage was significantly higher than the 50% of respondents who reported eating cucumbers in the FoodNet Population Survey—a survey that helps estimate how often people eat various foods linked to diarrheal illness. This difference suggests that people in this outbreak got sick from eating cucumbers.
Laboratory and traceback data
Public health investigators are using the PulseNet system to identify illnesses that may be part of this outbreak. ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø PulseNet manages a national database of DNA fingerprints of bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses. DNA fingerprinting is performed on bacteria using a method called whole genome sequencing (WGS). WGS showed that bacteria from sick people's samples are closely related genetically. This suggests that people in this outbreak got sick from the same food.
People reported buying and eating cucumbers from a variety of locations including grocery stores, restaurants, hospitals and on cruise ships. FDA's traceback investigation identified Bedner Growers Inc. as the common grower of cucumbers in this outbreak.
FDA conducted an inspection at Bedner Farms Inc. in April 2025 as a follow up to a previous outbreak. During their inspection, environmental samples were collected. An environmental sample was identified as the outbreak strain of Salmonella.
As part of this investigation, FDA collected a product sample of Bedner Growers, Inc., cucumbers from a distribution center in Pennsylvania. Salmonella was detected in the sample of cucumbers. analysis determined that the product sample contained Salmonella Montevideo, which matched the strain of Salmonella linked to illnesses in this outbreak.
Other types of Salmonella were detected in the cucumber sample collected, originating from Bedner Growers, Inc. In addition to Salmonella Montevideo, multiple other strains of Salmonella, unrelated to this outbreak investigation, matched other isolates in the National Center for Biotechnology Information's () database that occurred in 2025 and previous years. ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø is working to determine if additional human illnesses match these additional strains. Further analysis of the sample is pending.
WGS analysis of 41 people's samples did not predict resistance to any antibiotics. One person's sample predicted resistance to trimethoprim. More information is available at the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) site. Most people with Salmonella illness recover without antibiotics. However, if antibiotics are needed, this resistance is unlikely to affect the choice of antibiotic used to treat most people.
Previous updates
May 19, 2025
Investigation details
ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)are collecting different types of data to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Montevideo infections.
Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback data show that cucumbers may be contaminated with Salmonella and may be making people sick.
Epidemiologic data
As of May 19, 2025, a total of 26 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella have been reported from 15 states. Seven sick people reported taking a cruise during the seven days prior to becoming sick, all departing from locations in Florida. Sick people were aboard 5 different cruise ships that departed the United States between March 30 and April 12. Illnesses started on dates ranging from April 2, 2025, to April 28, 2025. Of 23 people with information available, 9 have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported.
The true number of sick people in this outbreak was likely much higher than the number reported, and this outbreak may not have been limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.
Public health officials collect many different types of information from sick people, including their age, race, ethnicity, other demographics, and the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. This information provides clues to help investigators identify the source of the outbreak.
The table below has information about sick people in this outbreak ("n" is the number of people with information available for each demographic).
Demographics
Information
Age
(n=26)
Range from 2 to 69 years
Median age of 53
Sex
(n=26)
77% female
23% male
Race
(n=24)
75% White
25% African American/Black
0% Native American or Alaska Native
0% Asian
0% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
0% reported more than one race
Ethnicity
(n=21)
86% non-Hispanic
14% Hispanic
State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. Of the 13 people interviewed so far, 11 (85%) reported eating cucumbers. This percentage was significantly higher than the 50% of respondents who reported eating cucumbers in the FoodNet Population Survey—a survey that helps estimate how often people eat various foods linked to diarrheal illness. This difference suggests that people in this outbreak got sick from eating cucumbers. Sick people on cruise ships reported eating cucumbers while on board. Three people traveled on the same ship.
Laboratory and traceback data
Public health investigators are using the PulseNet system to identify illnesses that may be part of this outbreak. ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø PulseNet manages a national database of DNA fingerprints of bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses. DNA fingerprinting is performed on bacteria using a method called whole genome sequencing (WGS). WGS showed that bacteria from sick people's samples are closely related genetically. This suggests that people in this outbreak got sick from the same food.
People reported buying and eating cucumbers from a variety of locations including grocery stores, restaurants, hospitals and on cruise ships. FDA's traceback investigation identified Bedner Growers Inc. as the common grower of cucumbers in this outbreak.
FDA conducted an inspection at Bedner Farms Inc. in April 2025 as a follow up to a previous outbreak. During their inspection, environmental samples were collected. An environmental sample was identified as the outbreak strain of Salmonella. ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø and FDA are concerned that contaminated cucumbers may still be within shelf life based on the timing of illnesses in this outbreak.
WGS analysis of 25 people's samples did not predict resistance to any antibiotics. One person's sample predicted resistance to trimethoprim. More information is available at the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) site. Most people with Salmonella illness recover without antibiotics. However, if antibiotics are needed, this resistance is unlikely to affect the choice of antibiotic used to treat most people.