State public health officials say they’re watching an outbreak of salmonella in papayas that has sickened four people in Gwinnett County and eight total in Georgia, one seriously enough to be hospitalized.
Besides the Gwinnett cases, two have been reported in Cherokee County and one each in Fulton and Dawson counties, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
The department did not say where the papayas were purchased, saying they could have been sold anywhere in the state.
"We are warning consumers not to eat papayas from Agromod Produce Inc.," public health spokeswoman Suleima Salgado said in an email. "Consumers who think they may have become ill from eating possibly contaminated papaya should consult their healthcare providers."
The federal Food and Drug Administration issued a recall Saturday for papayas from Agromod, a Texas-based company. Agromod distributes four brands of whole and unprocessed papayas: Yaya, Blondie, Mañanita and Tastylicious.
State health officials said they’re working with the state Department of Agriculture and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta on the produce recall in Georgia.
Authorities are monitoring illness data, county environmental health specialists are notifying restaurants and other food establishments about the recall, and county restaurant inspectors are on the lookout for the fruit.
Salmonella linked to papayas has been reported in 23 states including Georgia, from California to Massachusetts and from Minnesota to Louisiana.
Those infected with salmonella develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection, health officials said. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment.
Some people, though, may require hospitalization due to severe diarrhea. The elderly, infants and those with impaired immune systems are susceptible.
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