CDC : 85 % des personnes interrogées ont mangé des myrtilles ; le rappel reste ouvert

On September 11, 2026, CDC was keeping the investigation of E. coli O145 linked to frozen organic blueberries open. The update page —different from the front page of the food safety alert— explains the epidemiological and traceability reasoning behind the recall that reached Puerto Rico through a Great Value product distributed at Walmart. CDC, state and local authorities, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were collecting epidemiological, laboratory, and supply chain data.

The count was 17 cases in two states, six hospitalizations (35% of 17) and zero deaths. The illnesses began between May 11 and August 2, 2026. Ages ranged from 2 to 88 years, with a median of 47. The CDC reported 41% women and 59% men; for race, 16 of 16 with information were white; for ethnicity, 88% non-Hispanic and 12% Hispanic. None of these lines authorizes inferring that there was a case in Puerto Rico: the source does not publish patients by territory here.

The strongest signal comes from food interviews. Of 13 people interviewed, 11 — 85% — said they had eaten frozen blueberries in the week before getting sick. The CDC compares that 85% to 24% of participants who reported eating frozen berries in the FoodNet Population Survey. The difference, according to the agency, suggests that people in this outbreak got sick after eating frozen blueberries. FDA traceability identified Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. as the supplier.

The CDC warns that the true number of sick people is probably higher than 17 and that the outbreak may not be limited to the two states with known cases. Many people recover without medical attention and are not tested; moreover, it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person belongs to the outbreak. That is a warning of underreporting, not permission to make up a number. This table repeats 17 because that is what is published, not because it represents every actual infection.

The public health action on September 2 was to expand the recall. Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. added Great Value frozen Organic Triple Berry Blend 10 oz, lot 60401-6, Best By February 9, 2028, distributed to 26 states and Puerto Rico at Walmart. On July 29 Publix had withdrawn additional lots of frozen blueberries and whole mixed berries GreenWise; on July 3 the supplier had withdrawn GreenWise Organic IQF Blueberries, lot 60401. CDC recommends not to eat, sell, or serve recalled products and to clean surfaces.

The investigation distinguishes association from evidence and legal adjudication. That 85% of respondents ate blueberries and that the FDA tracked the supplier supports the alert and the recall; it is not a criminal conviction or a civil judgment against anyone. A preventive recall is not an admission of theft, fraud, or negligence. For the magazine, the correct language is 'linked' and 'may be contaminated,' just as the CDC writes, not 'guilty'.

The Puerto Rico angle remains commercial distribution, no cases confirmed. The Great Value box arrived on the Island according to the CDC, so consumers and stores should check the batch and date. But a count of units received, returned, or destroyed in Puerto Rico is not published. Nor is there an estimate of commercial losses on the page. MONEY/news does not fill in those gaps with extrapolations.

Summary of September 11: 17 cases, six hospitalizations, zero deaths; 11 of 13 interviewees ate frozen cranberries; FoodNet marks a baseline of 24%; FDA tracked the supplier; the Great Value recall reaches Puerto Rico. Open investigation is not a final verdict.

The September 3 update also makes it clear that the CDC, FDA, and state authorities are still collecting data; the open status implies that the 17 cases and six hospitalizations may change. A subsequent increase would not be evidence that today's note was wrong, but of ongoing surveillance. Likewise, a new case in a third state would not automatically make Puerto Rico a jurisdiction with confirmed patients. Until the CDC publishes a territorial breakdown, the Island's link remains in the commercial distribution of the Great Value product.

For businesses and homes, the operational instruction does not change due to the 85% rate: do not sell, do not serve, do not eat recalled products. Clean surfaces that touched the berries with hot water and soap or a dishwasher. Seek medical attention for diarrhea with blood, fever above 102°F, dehydration, or persistent vomiting. These recommendations appear on the sister pages of the outbreak and do not contradict the epidemiological update.