June 16 CDC Update - tomatoes and salmonella

Wendy's and Taco Bell adding tomatoes to their menu again. Nothing new from the FDA yet, but here is yesterday's update from the CDC on tomatoes/salmonella Saintpaul. How long can the FDA wait before giving us something more definite? When they do, will anyone still be listening? From the CDC update, another recounting of the numbers:

Since April, 277 persons infected with Salmonella Saintpaul with the same genetic fingerprint have been identified in 28 states and the District of Columbia: Arkansas (2 persons), Arizona (19), California (6), Colorado (1), Connecticut (2), Florida (1), Georgia (7), Idaho (3), Illinois (34), Indiana (7), Kansas (8), Kentucky (1), Maryland (1), Michigan (2), Missouri (4), New Mexico (68), New York (2), North Carolina (1), Ohio (3), Oklahoma (4), Oregon (3), Tennessee (4), Texas (68), Utah (2), Virginia (16), Vermont (1), Washington (1), Wisconsin (5), and the District of Columbia (1). These were identified because clinical laboratories in all states send Salmonella strains from ill persons to their State public health laboratory for characterization. Among the 202 persons with information available, illnesses began between April 10 and June 5, 2008. Patients range in age from <1>Salmonella Saintpaul at the time of his death. The infection may have contributed to his death.


TK: Check out this story about the learning curve of the consumer media and the industry:

Tracking the business behind the tomato