More Illness and Death Linked to Deregulation, Centralized, Industrialized Agribusiness

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in those two states there have been 57 reported cases of illness caused by an uncommon type of Salmonella bacteria called SaintPaul since late April.

About 30 more people have been sickened in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas and Utah, and authorities said they are investigating to see if the outbreaks are linked.

At least 17 people have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention epidemiologist Casey Barton Behravesh said in a telephone interview. The ages of those sickened ranges from 3 to 82 years, she said.

"We're watching for cases across the country," she said.

"Our preliminary data is showing that the people who became sick in New Mexico and Texas ate raw tomatoes, and that's their likely source of this illness," Barton Behravesh added.

"The investigation in the other states is ongoing right now. We are definitely looking into their tomato exposures as well as other exposures to try to determine if they're linked with this outbreak in New Mexico and Texas," she added.

Health officials in Texas and New Mexico conducted interviews comparing foods eaten by ill and well persons to identify raw tomatoes as the likely the source of infection.

"The specific type and source of tomatoes are under investigation. However, preliminary data suggest that raw red plum, red Roma, or round red tomatoes are the cause," the FDA said in a statement.

Tomato types not linked to these illnesses include cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still attached and tomatoes grown at home, the FDA said.
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