Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) found that three cases of salmonella in the Pelican State may be included in the 27-state outbreak that has already sickened 285 individuals, a Sunday report from the Associated Press stated.
The cases found in the state of Louisiana were in Baton Rouge area, in the northwest and the northeast.
The announcement from the department came a day after a company from California recalled cucumbers that have ties with the recent outbreak.
Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce, a company based in San Diego, voluntarily recalled their Mexico-grown garden cucumbers "Limited Edition" on Sept. 4.
According to health authorities, the product may have been the culprit behind illnesses that started since July and the death of a 99-year-old woman in August.
AP reported that the state health department received the notification last Friday night and started disseminating information to companies that have branches in Louisiana that may have put up the cucumbers for sale.
One of the chains included in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recall list is Whole Foods, who had bought the cucumbers.
Baton Rouge store managers told state health officials last Saturday that they were taking out the vegetables, according to Louisiana DHH spokeswoman Olivia Watkins, as reported in AP.
But last Sunday night, Watkins said that Baton Rouge Whole Foods managers made a mistake about saying they were carrying "Limited Edition."
Michael Silverman, Whole Foods Market national spokesman, said via email that they are not carrying the brand involved in the recall.
Meanwhile, Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce is being cooperative during this whole ordeal and is working alongside state health officials to confirm if its products are the source of the outbreak. Nevertheless, the company still recalled voluntarily to be on the safe side.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that the cucumber brand were distributed in several states in the United States including Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, and South Carolina, among many others.
For those who are not sure if their purchased cucumbers are part of the recall, they should ask the store from where they bought it or ask the supplier.
The salmonella case linked to contaminated cucumbers is still an ongoing investigation.
