More than 68,000 pounds of bagged spinach are to be withdrawn from market by a Monterey County grower after a routine test performed on a sample taken from a Watsonville packing plant showed that it was infected with salmonella.

Fortunately there have been no cases if illness from the spinach. At least there were none reported. State and federal officials are working with Metz Fresh of King City to determine the source and scope of contamination.

This case comes nearly a year after a nationwide outbreak of illness was traced to a batch of bagged California spinach that was tainted with a deadly strain of E. coli bacteria.

The spinach was sold to retail outlets and food service providers across the United States and Canada under the Metz Fresh label in 10-ounce and 16-ounce bags, as well as in 4-pound cartons and in 2.5-pound four-pack cartons, with tracking codes 12208114, 12208214 and 12208314.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, salmonella bacteria live in the intestinal tracts of humans and animals, including birds. Undercooked eggs, poultry or meat are the most common sources of salmonellosis in humans, although other foods, such as vegetables, may be contaminated.

In most cases, salmonella can cause typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, foodborne illness, diarrhea and abdominal cramps within 12 to 72 hours after infection, usually lasting four to seven days, according to the CDC.

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.