WASHINGTON Federal health officials say new evidence shows a definite link between fresh jalapenos and the salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than 1,000 people, prompting authorities to issue a qualified warning about eating the peppers. The advisory also has been extended to fresh serrano peppers, though one government agency indicated that it has fewer suspicions about that variety.
That same body, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also said Wednesday that three types of raw tomatoes remain a focus of its investigation into the Salmonella Saintpaul infection, which has officially sickened 1,017 individuals, 203 of whom have been hospitalized. The CDC also confirmed a news report from last weekend that cilantro is now part of the investigation as well.
In detailing why the investigation was being expanded, the CDC explained that some salmonella victims had eaten raw jalapenos but not any of the three types of tomatoes that have been implicated. But, the watchdog agency said, jalapenos “do not explain all illnesses.” It noted that “raw tomatoes, fresh serrano peppers and fresh cilantro also remain under investigation.”
The CDC’s identification of jalapenos, serranos and cilantro as other possible sources of the salmonella outbreak prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to update its website late Wednesday night. The new CDC data “indicate that not only tomatoes, but also raw jalapeno and serrano peppers may be linked to illnesses in this continuing outbreak.” The FDA advised that the peppers be avoided by persons with a heightened susceptibility to infection, such as the elderly or persons with weakened immune systems. It made no mention of cilantro.
The FDA also reiterated its warning about eating raw Roma, plum or red round tomatoes from areas that have not been approved by the agency as safe sources. The agency has yet to extend that OK to certain counties in Florida and some regions of Mexico.
Officials say the first victims of the outbreak were sickened in April, and that the incubation period for salmonella can extend for weeks. A CDC official told the media that new cases continue to come forward daily, and that the situation is now the nation’s largest outbreak of a foodborne illness.