FDA Names Indiana Farm Tied to Contaminated Melons

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has identified an Indiana farm tied to a recent salmonella outbreak linked to cantaloupe and says the operation has launched a formal recall of the melons

Chamberlain Farms of Owensville, located about 30 miles north of Evansville, could be one source of the multistate outbreak, the FDA said in a news release Wednesday evening.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that of 178 people infected in 21 states, two people have died and 62 have been hospitalized.  17 of the cases are in Illinois and 14 in Indiana.

Chamberlain Farms earlier had agreed to withdraw its cantaloupe from distribution, but the FDA said the formal recall will aid that effort and boost awareness.

Salmonellosis causes diarrhea, fever and cramps. Most recover without treatment, but it can be deadly for some.

Messages seeking comment from Chamberlain Farms were not immediately returned.