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CDC Reports Salmonella Saintpaul Cases Rise Above 800

By Pritzker | Ruohonen

The CDC reports that the national outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul from raw tomatoes has now resulted in 810 cases of illness. The outbreak has affected 36 different states along with the District of Columbia, resulting in at least 95 hospitalizations.  Officials are still investigating the matter to determine the specific type and source of tomato, but current data suggests that illness is linked to the consumption of raw red plum, red Roma, or round red tomatoes (and products which contain them).

Strains of Salmonella from affected individuals are tested by state laboratories, and the evidence shows a matching genetic fingerprint in the illnesses of more than 750 people.  The CDC does not think that the increase in cases is due to a wave of new infections, but in response to health professionals’ better identifying illness resulting from Salmonella Saintpaul. Most of the illnesses began between April 10 and June 13, 2008, and have not directly resulted in any deaths.  One man in his sixties, however, who died from cancer in Texas, had a Salmonella infection linked to the outbreak, which may have contributed to his death.

The following states have been affected:

Arkansas (10 persons), Arizona (39), California (10), Colorado (8), Connecticut (4), Florida (1), Georgia (18), Idaho (3), Illinois (78), Indiana (11), Kansas (14), Kentucky (1), Maine (1), Maryland (25), Massachusetts (18), Michigan (4), Minnesota (2), Missouri (12), New Hampshire (3), Nevada (4), New Jersey (4), New Mexico (85), New York (25), North Carolina (5), Ohio (6), Oklahoma (19), Oregon (7), Pennsylvania (6), Rhode Island (3), Tennessee (6), Texas (342), Utah (2), Virginia (22), Vermont (1), Washington (4), Wisconsin (6), and the District of Columbia (1).

Full post as published by Food Poisoning Law Blog on June 27, 2008 (boomark / email).