An essential question

A comment that an anonymous reader attached to a previous post seems to be one of the essential questions about this outbreak.

Can someone tell me, was this a widespread problem because of one farm's tomatoes being distributed in multiple places, or are different unrelated farms popping up with cases of salmonella all over the country?


TK: One might assume - or hope - that the "problem" started with one farm, being spread by distribution of those tomatoes throughout the country. But nothing quite so definite from the FDA yet. Here is a link to technical data about salmonella Saintpaul.

A visit to Wendy's over lunch revealed - by way of multiple 8 by 11" posters on the doors and at the order counter - the message that the tomatoes were being temporarily being removed from the chain's menu. I asked the worker who took the order for the Snak attack meal deal how long this tomato ban might last. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "A couple of weeks?" His guess is as good as any at this point.