MEXICO CITY, Mexico (Reuters) — Mexico temporarily closed a cantaloupe processing plant last month while investigating the source of a Salmonella contamination that has killed at least nine people in the United States and Canada.
Mexican health officials said they ordered the temporary suspension of activities at the plant in the northern state of Sonora after two visits, in which they took samples from surfaces and water, which are pending results.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Public Health Agency of Canada have reported at least nine deaths between both countries and hundreds of illnesses from Salmonella since October. Four deaths were reported by the CDC. Five were reported by PHAC.
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Health authorities in both countries have implicated Malichita and Rudy brand cantaloupes as the sources of the outbreak and issued recalls of the fruit.
Batches of cantaloupes had been returned to Mexico from the U.S., the Mexican government said in a statement, adding that it was working to prevent the contaminated products from being distributed to the market.
Mexico also warned that some peaches, plums and nectarines from the HMC Farms brand imported from the U.S. were possibly contaminated with listeria. U.S. health officials had notified its trading partner of the risk, Mexico said.
