Can’t-aloupe

By: Tori Best & Arson Coombs

Have you been to the grocery store recently? If so, you may have noticed that cantaloupe isn’t on the shelves like usual. This is due to cantaloupe being removed from stores due to many people getting sick from salmonella.

There are many ongoing cases of contaminated cantaloupe causing sickness across the nation. If this isn’t taken seriously and action isn’t taken immediately, many adults and especially young children with weak immune systems could end up in the hospital. As of a week ago, there were 34 states affected by the cantaloupe crisis, including Kentucky. Health departments in multiple states are working with local and federal public health partners to investigate the many cases of cantaloupe-induced salmonella, as they try to put this crisis in the rearview mirror.

This cantaloupe outbreak isn’t significant compared to the 2020 Covid Outbreak. Not even close. But if we aren’t careful, our mixed fruit cups may never again be overfilled with chunks of orange, moderately tasty (if fresh) cantaloupe.