Salmonella outbreak spreads to 16 states

Salmonella poisoning first linked to uncooked tomatoes has spread to 16 states, federal health officials said Saturday.

Investigations by the state health departments of Texas and New Mexico as well as the U.S. Indian Health Service have tied 56 cases in Texas and 55 in New Mexico to raw tomatoes.

"We're seeing a steady increase," Deborah Busemeyer, New Mexico Department of Health communications director, said Saturday.

An additional 50 people have been sickened by the strain known as Salmonella Saintpaul in Illinois, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

Investigators are trying to determine if raw tomatoes also are responsible for the illnesses in those states, said Arleen Porcell, a CDC spokeswoman.

The source of the tomatoes responsible for the illnesses has not been pinpointed, but health officials in Texas and New Mexico said none of them was grown in those two states.

At least 23 people have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported, Porcell said. Patients ranged in age from 1 to 82.

Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, and homegrown tomatoes are likely not the source of the outbreak, Busemeyer said.

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