Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Anatum Infections Linked to Imported Hot Peppers — United States, May–July 2016 | MMWR

Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Anatum Infections Linked to Imported Hot Peppers — United States, May–July 2016 | MMWR

2016 Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Hot Peppers

Tracking down the source of foodborne outbreaks linked to fresh produce, like hot peppers, can be challenging due to the complexities of the food supply chain and the difficulty of identifying specific pepper types through epidemiologic investigations. In June 2016, an outbreak of Salmonella Anatum infections sickened 32 people from nine states. A public health investigation found that imported, fresh hot peppers were the likely source of the outbreak. However, the investigation could not identify a single type of pepper or source farm. The MMWR report highlights the importance of using epidemiologic and traceback data with whole genome sequencing results during outbreak investigations.