Frozen Fruit Milkshake May Cause Typhoid Fever
A frozen fruit product made with the Mamey fruit is being recalled by the manufacturer after it was linked to at least four cases of typhoid fever by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”) earlier in the week.
Goya Foods is recalling 14-ounce packages of its frozen mamey fruit pulp, which it distributed in 11 Western states including Hawaii. The FDA found traces of salmonella -- the bacteria that causes typhoid fever -- in a sample of the product and has been investigating since that incident.
The CDC confirmed seven cases of typhoid fever in California and Nevada; apparently most of the victims drank milkshakes made with the product. The CDC said it will continue to investigate possible typhoid cases, including two more reports out of California.
Mamey is a fruit no known to many consumers in the United States. Itis a red-fleshed fruit native to Mexico and is a common ingredient in milkshakes, smoothies and fruit bars.
In addition to Hawaii, the Goya product was sold in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington.
Typhoid fever is not common in the United; however, can be a problem in many parts of the world – particularly in developing countries. Symptoms of the life-threatening illness include sustained high fever, stomach pain and rash. Typhoid fever can only be diagnosed by testing blood and stool samples, and is treated with antibiotics.
