12 cases of salmonella confirmed in Missouri

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri health officials have been notified of 12 confirmed cases of salmonella apparently traced to cantaloupes grown in southwestern Indiana.

Several states are coping with salmonella outbreaks linked to the Indiana melons. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported the confirmation by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday.

Missouri officials say at least three people reported eating cantaloupe before getting sick. The CDC says the strain of salmonella in the Missouri cases matches the one found in the Indiana melons.

Symptoms of salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps.

The CDC says many cantaloupes have stickers that say where they were grown. People who recently bought cantaloupes grown in southwestern Indiana are being advised to throw them out.