A Strain of Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella Newport in Mexico
Level 4 - Avoid All Travel
Level 3 - Reconsider Nonessential Travel
Level 2 - Practice Enhanced Precautions
Level 1 - Practice Usual Precautions
Key points
- Some travelers who have spent time in Mexico have been infected with multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella Newport.
- MDR Salmonella has developed the ability to defeat drugs designed to kill them. Infections with MDR Salmonella can be difficult to treat.
- Clinicians should follow CDC’s treatment guidance.
- Many travelers with MDR Salmonella Newport infections reported eating beef, cheese (including queso fresco and Oaxaca), beef jerky, or dried beef (carne seca) before they got sick.
What can travelers do to prevent Salmonella infection?
- Follow safe eating, drinking, cooking, and food handling habits to help reduce your chance of getting sick while traveling. Find out which foods and drinks are usually safe for travelers.
- Be aware that beef jerky and other dried beef products can cause illness if not prepared safely. If you don’t know whether beef jerky was prepared safely, consider not eating it.
- Handle and cook beef safely when preparing it at home.
- Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before eating, before and after touching food, and after using the toilet.
- Travelers who feel very ill or have severe symptoms should seek medical care immediately.
- DO NOT:
- Eat beef that may be raw or undercooked.
- Eat soft cheese that might be made from raw or unpasteurized milk.
- Eat food prepared by someone who is sick or has recently been sick.
- Prepare food for others while you are sick.
Traveler Information
- Health Information for Travelers to Mexico
- Food Poisoning Symptoms and When to See a Doctor
- Getting Health Care During Travel
- Can I Bring Food into the United States?
- Four Steps to Food Safety at Home
- Salmonella Questions and Answers
Clinician Information
- Clinical Guidance for Management of a Strain of Multidrug-resistant Salmonella Newport in Travelers to and from Mexico
- Outbreak of Salmonella Newport Infections with Decreased Susceptibility to Azithromycin Linked to Beef Obtained in the United States and Soft Cheese Obtained in Mexico — United States, 2018–2019 MMWR
- Salmonella in the CDC Yellow Book (Health Information for International Travel)
- Food & Water Precautions in the CDC Yellow Book
Map: Mexico (see larger map)
What is Salmonella?
Salmonella are bacteria (germs) that can make people sick. Salmonella can be found in a variety of foods.
Most people with a Salmonella infection (food poisoning) have diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. Symptoms usually start 6 hours to 6 days after swallowing the bacteria and usually last 4 to 7 days.
Most people recover without antibiotics. However, some groups of people are more likely to get seriously ill and need antibiotic treatment. These groups include children younger than 12 months (especially those younger than 3 months), people with weakened immune systems, and people who are 65 years or older.