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Hunt for salmonella source expands to other produce

ATLANTA The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Friday that investigators are broadening their hunt for the source of the salmonella outbreak to include fresh produce other than tomatoes. But officials would neither confirm nor deny a press report that suspicions now center on jalapeno peppers.

The agency indicated on its website that three types of tomatoes are still prime suspects. But, it said, clusters of illnesses among restaurant patrons in Texas and other states have prompted investigators to also look at foods commonly consumed with raw tomatoes. It noted that the tomato varieties under suspicion are common ingredients in fresh salsa, guacamole and pico de gallo. No mention was made of jalapenos.

However, the Saturday edition of The Wall Street Journal cited unnamed sources “familiar with the probe” as saying jalapenos are now a primary focus of the effort to locate the source. The page-one story also said cilantro and Serrano peppers are part of the refocused scrutiny.

ACDC spokeswoman quoted in the report would neither confirm nor deny the assertion. Glen Nowak, a CDC spokesman, was quoted as saying that tomatoes are no longer the primary focus, but he added that the investigation is still looking at that fruit as a possible source.

The Journal also cited unnamed officials as saying that canned and processed salsa are not part of the widened scrutiny, and that independent restaurants are believed to be a more likely link in the chain of contamination than big chains are. Many national operations buy their salsa ready-made.

Despite the expansion of the investigation, CDC has not advised consumers to avoid eating fresh produce other than Roma, plum and red round tomatoes from certain areas of Florida and Mexico. Nor has it advised the public to avoid fresh salsa, guacamole, pico de gallo or other ingredients that typically contain tomatoes.

However, the Food and Drug Administration has advised consumers to avoid fresh products containing any of the implicated tomato varieties.

The National Restaurant Association said it concurs with published estimates that the outbreak has already cost restaurants $100 million in lost sales.

As of Thursday night, the CDC said in a briefing on Friday, 943 people in 40 states have been infected with the same strain of Salmonella Saintpaul, a relatively rare form of the pathogen. At least 130 people have been hospitalized, the agency said.

It also acknowledged that the infection could have been a factor in the death of a Houston man in his 60s early in the outbreak. The cause of death given at the time of his passing was cancer, but officials said the man had been diagnosed as having salmonella. Early press reports cited assertions from health officials that the illness had not been a contributor to the death.

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