Following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s
warning on Tuesday that tomatoes might be linked to several cases of
salmonellosis in Texas and New
Mexico and other seven U.S. states, some stores have already
pulled the products from their shelves.
There have been 57 cases of salmonellosis (the illness
caused by the Salmonella bacteria called Saint Paulthat) since late April in Texas and New
Mexico. Seventeen people have been hospitalized , but
no death has been reported, the CDC said. Moreover, about 30 people have been
sickened in Arizona, Colorado,
Idaho, Illinois,
Indiana, Kansas
and Utah.
The bad news is that no single source, farm, or grocery
store has been found to be responsible for the outbreak. Therefore, “the
specific type source of tomatoes is under investigation,” CDC’s epidemiologist
Casey Barton Behravesh said on Tuesday.
Until
the source of infection is confirmed, the CDC warns consumers in New Mexico and Texas
to avoid Roma or red round tomatoes if they want to lower their risk of
salmonellosis.
To
stop salmonellosis from spreading, some stores have already pulled tomatoes
from their shelves. Moreover, important manufacturers like H.E. Butt Grocery Co.
and Whole Foods Markets Inc. are recalling tomatoes to ensure the safety of
consumers. Winell Herron, HEB’s group vice president of public affairs and
diversity said they “will continue to monitor the situation closely and will
return the product to our stores once it is absolutely safe for our customers,”
Bizjournals.com quoted him.
Also,
Austin-based Whole Foods announce it will voluntarily pull those tomatoes from
the shelves of its more than 270 stores.
Meanwhile,
customers who bought tomatoes are urged to cook them at 145 degrees to kill any
possible Salmonella, wash all tomatoes under running water, and wash their
hands before handling them.
Salmonella
is a common bacterium that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in
young children, frail in elderly people and others with weakened immune
systems. Symptoms of salmonella include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and
abdominal pain.
Most
people recover from salmonella illness without special treatment, but cases of
severe diarrhea require medical attention and there’s a risk of infection
spreading from the intestines to the bloodstream, a condition that could turn
fatal.
