BEIJING, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Mexico ordered the temporary closure of a melon processing plant on Dec. 15, citing suspected salmonella contamination of some of the plant's melon products to the United States and Canada, killing at least nine people.
According to Mexican Health**, the health authorities ordered the plant in Sonora to shut down after two inspections to identify the source of the contamination. Workers collect samples from the surface of the assembly line workbench and in the water, awaiting the test results.
A worker drives a forklift to move containers at a port in Ensenada, Mexico, Feb. 7, 2017. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Dan Hang.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Public Health Agency of Canada have reported hundreds of cases of Salmonella infections and at least nine deaths in both countries since October, with four cases reported in the United States and five in Canada. The cases are linked to at least two brands of melons and diced products from the state of Sonora, Mexico.
Mexico** said in a statement that several batches of suspected problematic melons had been shipped back to Mexico from the United States and that Mexico was "working to prevent contaminated products from entering the market."
According to the World Health Organization, Salmonella is widely found in domestic and wild animals and often infects humans through contaminated food. Infected people may experience symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, which usually last for 2 to 7 days. Most infected people recover on their own without special **, but special groups such as children and the elderly may experience severe disease and even death. (Liu Jiang).