Red Plum/Red Roma tomatoes implicated in outbreak

THURSDAY June 19, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- The Centers for Disease control and Prevention on June 18 updated the ongoing tomato-triggered outbreak on its website saying that since April, 383 person sin 30 states had been infected with Salmonella Saintpaul.   At least 48 people were hospitalized but no one died.

These were cases confirmed by the state health laboratories after testing Salmonella strains from ill persons for their genetic fingerprint and identifying them as the same bacterium implicated in the outbreak.

The outbreak was associated with consumption of raw red tomatoes.   The actual number of illness may be well over 15,000, an estimate based on a CDC formula.   Many people who suffered did not go to see a doctor and many of those who did might not have their stool cultured.

Federal officials are still investigating the outbreak and trying to locate the source of outbreak although word was out from the government that the source of contamination may remain forever a mystery, giving the public the impression that the feds should not be expected to come up with the conclusion anytime soon.

Round red tomato implicated in outbreak

“We may not ultimately know the farm where these came from,” Dr. David Acheson, the FDA's associate commissioner for foods, was quoted by The New York Times as telling reporters in a conference call. “Some trace-backs that we thought were looking pretty good have been falling apart.”

Early the FDA said it was investigating a cluster of nine people who ate tomatoes at the same restaurant chain and fell ill.  But the agency has not disclosed the chain's name or location.

Some people who contacted William Marler, a Seattle, Washington based attorney, reportedly claimed that they ate tomatoes at some chain restaurants and became ill.

According to the Chicago Tribune, cited by Marler, the restaurants involved in the nine cases being probed are two Adobo Grill restaurants in Chicago.

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has reportedly confirmed six new cases, bring the total to seven in the state.   The department said more cases might be confirmed.

The CDC said the increased cases resulted from greater surveillance at the state level and more effective identifications of salmonella samples in recent tests. The increased number should not be interpreted as a sign that the outbreak was getting worse.

The contaminated tomatoes probably came from somewhere in Mexico or central or southern Florida, Dr. Acheson said.