Cucumber salmonella outbreak includes passengers on 6 cruise ships, CDC says
At least eight cruise passengers were among those sickened in a salmonella outbreak linked to cucumbers from a Florida grower, according to a Friday update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC did not identify the ships or the cruise companies where the passengers fell ill.
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The official illness count is up to 45 people in 18 states, with 16 of those people hospitalized. There have been no deaths so far in the outbreak.
Georgia has the most illnesses reported with seven, followed by six in Florida. Other states with cases: Illinois and Ohio with four each; North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia, with three each; South Carolina and Michigan, two each; and California, Kentucky, Indiana, Alabama, Colorado, Kansas, Massachusetts, and Tennessee, one each.
“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,” the CDC said. “This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for salmonella.”
Among the 45 people on the sick list, eight told investigators they took a cruise that left from Florida in the week before falling ill. Salmonella can hit anywhere from six hours to six days after ingesting contaminated food. Six cruise ships that left the United States from March 30 through April 12 contained at least one sick person.
How did the investigation get to Bedner Growers?
The CDC says of 27 sick people interviewed, 24 said they ate cucumbers.
“The FDA’s traceback investigation identified Bedner Growers Inc. as the common grower of cucumbers in this outbreak,” the CDC reports. “The FDA conducted an inspection at Bedner Farms Inc. in April 2025 as a follow up to a previous outbreak (in 2024). During their inspection, environmental samples were collected. An environmental sample was identified as the outbreak strain of salmonella.”
Bedner’s is based in Delray Beach, Florida.
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When the FDA tested some Bedner Growers cucumbers in a Pennsylvania distribution center, salmonella was found.
“If you have any whole cucumbers in your home and can’t tell where they are from, throw them out,” the CDC said.
What is salmonella?
Salmonella is one of the most common foodborne illnesses. It infects 1.35 million in the United States annually. It’s not known for bringing death, although about 420 of those 1.35 million die from it each year. Usually, there’s stomachaches and diarrhea, which sends people to the hospital if it’s bloody.
If you learn that food in your home has been contaminated with salmonella, wash and sanitize any surface and utensil that food touched.
This story was originally published May 30, 2025 at 5:30 PM