8 ON YOUR SIDE: CDC says deadly salmonella outbreak in cantaloupes has ended

8 ON YOUR SIDE: A deadly salmonella outbreak linked to cantaloupes has ended, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

As CBS News reports, the CDC said that cantaloupes recalled in connection with the bacteria outbreak had passed their use-by-dates and were no longer for sale.

Cantaloupes tainted with salmonella have been linked to six deaths in the U.S., in addition to more than 400 illnesses across 44 states in recent months, the CDC said. Nearly 40% of those who reported becoming sick were hospitalized, according to the agency’s data.

Salmonella can cause serious illness, and is especially harmful to young children, elderly people and those with weakened immune systems. The organism causes an estimated 1.3 million infections in Americans every year, causing an average of more than 26,000 hospitalizations and 420 deaths, CDC data shows.