A salmonella outbreak linked to Honduran cantaloupe sickened two elderly Georgians earlier this winter, according to the state Division of Public Health.

The Georgia patients, from Gwinnett and Bartow counties, fell ill in January. One was hospitalized. Both have since recovered, said Belen Moran, a spokeswoman for the Division of Public Health.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned last week against eating cantaloupe imported from Honduras from the grower/packer Agropecuaria Montelibano.

State health departments received an alert about an outbreak of Salmonella Litchfield, an unusual strain of the bacteria, on Feb. 22. The FDA issued the warning about cantaloupe on Saturday, about a month after the initial alert. The FDA learned two weeks ago that the outbreak might be tied to melons, but wasn't able to link it to a supplier until the day before the consumer warning went out, spokeswoman Stephanie Kwisnek said Monday.

Although neither of the Georgia patients recalled eating cantaloupe in the week before they became ill, lab tests turned up the same strain of bacteria tied to the outbreak, Moran said. Health authorities report 50 illnesses in 16 states and nine in Canada.

The FDA is blocking imports from the packer. The agency is advising consumers with cantaloupes to check with the store where they bought them and to throw away any melons from that packer.

Salmonella bacteria can cause foodborne illness, and has been linked in the past to imported cantaloupe. The melons' rippled skin surface can be difficult to clean thoroughly.

Symptoms of infection include stomach cramping, diarrhea, nausea and fever. Illness can be more severe in higher-risk groups: the elderly, children and those with weakened immune systems.

The FDA advises cleaning cantaloupe thoroughly under cool running water, including scrubbing the firm skin with a produce brush. Any bruised or damaged fruit should be cut out before eating.