What Disease Can You Get From Cantaloupe?

The CDC has issued a nationwide warning for consumers to avoid fruit “marketed as cantaloupes harvested in the Rocky Ford region.” Listeria monocytogenes bacteria cause a disease called listeriosis. Listeriosis primarily affects older adults, pregnant women, newborns, and people with a weakened immune system.

Can I get sick from cantaloupe?

If you feel ill within two months of eating contaminated cantaloupe, see a physician immediately and make sure to tell your doctor about what you’ve eaten. In high-risk groups, including pregnant women, the bacteria can be fatal. Listeriosis can be treated with antibiotics, however.

What bacteria is found in cantaloupe?

Epidemiological and laboratory evidence in an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections associated with cut cantaloupe suggested that contamination may occur not only by cutting through contaminated rinds but also by cutting with contaminated utensils [16].

What’s the risks of cantaloupe?

Cantaloupe is also risky as a home for pathogens because of its unique skin. Bacteria sticks easily to the rough surface, and can even penetrate through the porous rind to the inside of the fruit.

How can you tell if a cantaloupe has Salmonella?

Sliced or cut melon should never be out of refrigeration for more than 2 hours, 1 hour when it’s above 90 °F. Symptoms of foodborne Salmonella infection include nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps.

When should you not eat cantaloupe?

How To Tell If Cantaloupe Is Bad?

1. Feel light, hollow, or super soft. If the melon seems empty inside or the rind is soft, it’s lost most of its water and it’s no good.
2. Have large bruises or discolored areas.
3. Smell off.
4. Are cut up and sit in storage for too long or are moldy.

What are the symptoms of Listeria?

Clinical Features/Signs and Symptoms

• Higher-risk people other than pregnant women: Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.
• Pregnant women: Pregnant women typically experience only fever, and other non-specific symptoms like chills and headache.

Can over ripe cantaloupe make you sick?

Overripe fruits are prone to developing moldy patches. But that doesn’t mean you can’t eat them or that they will make you sick if you do. According to the Food and Drug Administration, it’s fine to eat fruit with moldy patches as long as you remove the affected area.

How do you clean cantaloupe Listeria?

Foodborne illness prevention
Wash your cantaloupe: By scrubbing the exterior of the fruit with antibacterial soap, you can remove harmful bacteria from the rind before you cut into it.

Are you supposed to refrigerate cantaloupe?

Keep whole melons like watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew on the counter for best flavor. USDA research found that storage at room temp may even help keep the antioxidants better intact. Once cut, store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

What happens if I eat spoiled cantaloupe?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a person infected with the bacteria usually has a fever and muscle aches, which are often preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. Additional symptoms can be a headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions.

How long does Listeria last in the body?

Most healthy patients who are exposed to listeria and develop symptoms will not require any sort of treatment. Their immune system will eradicate the bacteria, and symptoms will tend to go away within three days, though they may last as long as one week.

How soon will I know if I have Listeria?

Symptoms of intestinal illness usually start within 24 hours after eating food contaminated with Listeria and usually last 1–3 days. Symptoms are usually mild. However, some people with intestinal illness develop invasive illness.

What does Listeria do to humans?

Listeria can cause fever and diarrhea (loose stool/poop) similar to other foodborne germs, but this type of Listeria infection is rarely diagnosed. Symptoms vary in people with invasive listeriosis, meaning the bacteria has spread beyond the gut. Symptoms start 1 to 4 weeks after eating food contaminated with Listeria.

What causes listeria in cantaloupe?

A vegetable or fruit food product can become contaminated anywhere along the chain of food production: planting, harvesting, packing, distribution, preparation and serving. Even on a farm, sources of contamination can include irrigated waters, wash waters and soil. Listeria can survive for up to 84 days in some soils.

Do you wash cantaloupe after cutting?

Does anyone actually eat the skin of a honeydew or a cantaloupe anyway? Well, even if you’re not planning on a mega-dose of fibrous skin and rind, there is a good reason to rinse off that melon: germs. The knife that cuts through the melon’s tough exterior can transfer nasty bugs to the sweet flesh you do consume.

Why does my cantaloupe taste like acetone?

These fruits, if grown naturally, are not good stored. You can taste the stored ones straight away, they either have no flavour or they develop an acetone taste akin to nail varnish. But when you get a good melon, it is like hitting a windfall.

Can dogs eat cantaloupe?

So, can dogs eat cantaloupe? Yes, the tasty melon is safe for pups to eat in moderation and can be a healthy alternative to traditional treats, especially if your dog is overweight. Even the seeds are harmless, but you should avoid feeding them to your dog intentionally, as they can be a choking hazard.

Can cantaloupe cause diarrhea?

Diarrhea From Bacteria in Fruit
The Food and Poison Journal warns that symptoms of abdominal cramps and diarrhea from cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon caused by the Salmonella bacteria is a problem in America.