In a nice, safe world, peanut butter should be a friend – not a risk of getting infected with salmonella, as seems to be the case.

Over the past 6 months a salmonella outbreak has been stealthily creeping in, making a total of 288 cases in 39 states. Federal health officials are concerned that tainted peanut butter could be the cause for this.

It is believed to be the first salmonella outbreak associated with peanut butter in U.S. history, said officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Almost 20 per cent of the people infected with the bacterium have been hospitalized So far there have been no fatalities. About 85 percent of the infected people said they ate peanut butter, CDC officials said.

Dr. Mike Lynch, a CDC epidemiologist, says that investigations are still underway to discover how the peanut butter came to carry salmonella. The largest number of cases was reported in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Tennessee and Missouri.

The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to eat certain jars of Peter Pan or Great Value peanut butter because there is a risk of salmonella contamination.

“Although none of our extensive product tests have indicated the presence of salmonella, we are taking this precautionary measure because consumer health and safety is out top priority,� spokesman Chris Kircher said.

Great Value peanut butter made by other manufacturers is not affected, the government agency said.

Approximately 40,000 persons in the USA become infected with salmonella each year; the infection is known as salmonellosis and can be fatal. Around 600 people die annually from it. Among the symptoms are diarrhea, fever, dehydration, abdominal pain and vomiting.