Tomato-Related Salmonella Cases Spike

More Than 200 Cases Reported After Government Learns Of Five Dozen Previously Unknown Incidents

(AP)  The toll from salmonella-tainted tomatoes jumped to 228 illnesses Thursday as the government learned of five dozen previously unknown cases and said it is possible the food poisoning contributed to a cancer patient's death.

Six more states - Florida, Georgia, Missouri, New York, Tennessee and Vermont - reported illnesses related to the outbreak, bringing the number of affected states to 23.

The Food and Drug Administration has not pinpointed the source of the outbreak. With the latest known illness striking on June 1, officials also are not sure if all the tainted tomatoes are off the market.

"As long as we are continuing to see new cases come on board, it is a concern that there are still contaminated tomatoes out there," said the agency's food safety chief, Dr. David Acheson.

Government officials have said all week they were close to cracking the case, but "maybe we were being too optimistic," Acheson acknowledged.

How much longer? "That's impossible to say."

On the do-not-eat list are raw red plum, red Roma or red round tomatoes, unless they were grown in specific states or countries that the FDA has cleared because they were not harvesting when the outbreak began or were not selling their tomatoes in places where people got sick.

The FDA is directing consumers to its Web site - http://www.fda.gov - for updated lists of the safe regions.

Also safe are grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached. That is not because there is anything biologically safer about those with a vine but because the sick have assured investigators that is not the kind of tomato they ate.

What if you did not go to the store armed with a list, or the store or restaurant manager cannot assure that any plum, Roma or round tomatoes came from safe regions?

"If you don't know, don't take the risk," Acheson said.

Cooking also kills salmonella, but the FDA is not formally advising people to cook suspect tomatoes for fear they will not get them heated thoroughly.

Mexico and parts of central Florida, two chief tomato suppliers, are still on FDA's suspect list. But the agency would not say they were top suspects, and in fact, said certain parts of Mexico that were not harvesting when the outbreak began are working to be cleared.

At least 25 people have been hospitalized during the outbreak, caused by a relatively rare strain of salmonella known as Saintpaul.

"At this point, there isn't a lot of data to suggest this is a more virulent strain," said Dr. Ian Williams of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

No deaths have been attributed to the salmonella. But the CDC for the first time Thursday acknowledged that the salmonella may have been a contributing factor in the cancer-caused death of a 67-year-old Texas man.

[brainteaser2]

The whole idea is to buy local. That way you know where your food comes from. Frequent as many farmers markets as you can and support and get to know your producers. If you go to places like McDonald''s and Walmart expect the worst. The whole idea of a brown spot meaning something is bad is ridiculous - that''s what has us in this predicament in the first place. And buy the way except for hydroponics tomatoes are not in season. We have to get back to reality.

[gabbysmomrs]

I visited Wal-Mart yesterday and they had tomatoes all over the place..I asked about it and the lady stocking the bins told me they were all safe. Since I haven''t heard any news that all types of tomatoes that Wal-Mart here in NW Florida are safe. I bought some hydroponically grown cherry tomatoes but have reservations about using them.

[bcbbkake]

I am sure that the few hundred cases *reported* is just the tip of the iceberg. My friend bought some tomatoes at a dollar store, and got sick as a dog. She didn''t go to the doctor, just rode it out (so to speak). She eats salad with tomatoes everyday. She had been getting sick for almost a week when she saw the news report (at that time 16 states had been infected) and put two and two together. Went home and tossed those tomatoes. She''s okay now, but it was rough. We are in California.

[lewiston14]

minnick8 while agree SistaTees comment was in bad taste McDonald''''s Corp tracking somebody down is a little over the top dont you think?

News flash 2 days ago a a food store chain I asked one of the guys working produce about his tomatoes. His answer was my boss said they came for 1000''s of miles away and not to worry. A quick email to the chains managment and guess what is in a half page yesterday. All Store pull all but cherry, grape. and vine tomatoes. I know this is not the end on earth as we know it but I have had it before and if you want to vomit every 5 minutes, cant even keep water down and sit on the can for a week be my guest. It''s as bad as those undercooked chickens at a church social or that mac salad that has been in the sun a couple of hours to long. This to will pass as tomatoes dont last a month. Its the next batch im worried about that is growing as we speak. It has to be found

[lewiston14]

I have to agree with that other poster it seems all backwords.

Person asked you got sick right yes
Did you eat tomatoes yes
Where did you eat the tomatoes
Jims tomato shack
Jim where did you get your tomatoes
Ralphs tomato supply
Ralph where do you get youu tomatoes
Toms real big tomato supply company
Tom lets see you records on your tomato suppliers

You get the picture.

As local tomatoes wont be here for another 45 days a farm markket is a real bad place to buy tomatoes because I know the dont have a clue where they came from when bought in bulk.

[salty1954]

You can absolutely blame Bush for this one.

Bush and his band of neo-con criminals gutted then politicized the FDA.

It will take a decade to undo the damage to America caused by the war-criminal Bush.

I hope all you idiots who supported Bush are suffering now!

[greeneyes222]

I''m having a really hard time with the idea the FDA can''t identify the source of these tomatoes. They know who some victims are, they can ask where they ate tomatoes, and they can track back from there. There has to be some commonality.

The idea that the FDA has instead chosen to indicate safe regions is just nuts. They declared Tennessee safe, for example, and then three cases popped up. So much for safe regions. Besides, if someone eats in a restaurant, they have no clue where the food is from, locally grown or shipped in.

Not acceptable. I''m sorry, but it''s just not.

[cockapoo11]

If yer really worried maybe buy packaged fruit and vegetables instead of just the naked produce.

[cockapoo11]

I ate a tomato just the other day with a dark spot in it. Didn''t get sick though. I''ll betcha alot of these scares are due to produce just taking longer to get to the supermarket because of gas prices and such. They''re just older.

[alancontact]

This is a knee-jerk reaction. While it''s bad that 228 people have gotten sick, it''s hardly an outbreak. More people die from the flu each year... you are in more danger driving to work than eating a tomato. In addition, there are other sources of tomatoes if you are worried. Buy the vine tomatoes or just make sure you get organic ones. Geez, there is more important issues facing people than having to worry about getting sick from killer tomatoes. I gotta roll my eyes on this!

[alphaa10-2009]

Despite the comment of "GrammaWhamma", the CDC itself has made no statement on the safety of tomatoes and other produce which (1) has been washed and (2) whose outer skin is intact.

In fact, this is a very critical issue. Most shoppers do not select obviously damaged, bruised and torn produce. Yet, salmonella surfaces among those who can be presumed to buy and prepare their tomatoes exactly like the rest of us.

If salmonella penetrates the tissue of intact produce, perhaps through the stem or even the skin, then all admonitions about washing are beside the point.

We might be forgiven for wondering how the FDA has managed to overlook the mechanisms for spread of produce-borne disease. Especially after repeated outbreaks of salmonella and E. coli.

[grammawhamma]

Eat at home and wash your vegetables and fruits. You will be fine...no need to lose sleep over this. *sigh*

[lovesamerica]

I saw that now they are finding some sliced lemons in some resturants[didn''t read the whole article on yahoo]that have feces on them...maybe the cheap labor is getting tired of being...cheap labor

[apprxam]

It''s funny how just yesterday the FDA proclaimed tomatoes to be safe to eat, but they''ve yet to pinpoint the cause, let alone its'' origin.

Before Bush, the FDA was a joke. During Bush/Cheney, they are a criminal organization. Anything, anything for big business. They claim to be protecting the small farmer, but this new outbreak is from BIG AGRA and I"m sure they know exactly which one''s it''s from.

[mljohns00]

Hmmm...a mysterious poisoning of hundreds of people, all with an identical and rare biological agent, spread across 23 states.

Anybody remember the 1984 poisoning of 750 people in The Dalles, Oregon, using salmonella? The most successful vehicle in that attack was salad bars. The source wasn''t discovered until a year later, and then only because of the accusations of a Rajneeshpuam leader.

[lovesamerica]

See mom, vegetables CAN kill you!