Salmonella Outbreak Continues - maybe tomatoes, maybe not tomatoes
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The latest news regarding the Salmonella outbreak in tomatoes is not optimistic. New cases continue to be reported. The most recent case of Salmonellosis with the saintpaul serotype was report on June 15, 2008 and so far and since April, 810 cases have been confirmed and at least 95 people hospitalized. The Salmonella saintpaul serotype is very rare, for the comparable period in 2007, only 7 cases of this serotype were reported. An updated version of the CDC information about the outbreak is available.
On June 26, 2008, the FDA and CDC held a joint press conference about the tomato-Salmonella outbreak. To download the audio of the press conference in an MP3 format go here: (caution big file). The Press conference conducted by Dr. David Acheson, FDA Commissioner and Dr. Patricia Griffin of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In their news conference, they suggested that while they continue to suspect tomatoes as the source of the contamination; in all the 1700 samples collected so far, they haven't yet confirmed Salmonella saintpaul. They tested fruit and water from various sites along the supply chain. They are beginning to equivocate - suggesting that the source may not be tomatoes. CNN's Lou Dobbs has particularly hard on the FDA and CDC for their seemingly inability to trace the infection. Estimate losses to the U.S. tomato industry is expected to be over $100,000,000.
Tomatoes grown in Hawaii continue to be not implicated in this outbreak.