Cox News Service
ATLANTA -- The number of Americans sickened by
salmonella-contaminated tomatoes has soared to 707, making it the
largest outbreak connected to the crop since the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention started keeping records in the
1960s.
The actual number of illnesses is likely much higher. For every
laboratory-confirmed case, the CDC estimates that another 30
illnesses go unreported. That works out to more than 21,000
potential illnesses in the tomato outbreak.
In Georgia, 15 cases - all but one in metro Atlanta - have been
linked to the outbreak. Three of those patients were hospitalized
and released, said Cherie Drenzek, an epidemiologist for the state
Division of Public Health. The state is awaiting lab results on a
few other cases, Drenzek said.
The second-largest salmonella outbreak linked to tomatoes
sickened 510 in 2002.
Many of the newly reported cases are not due to a large number
of recent illnesses, the CDC said. Instead, state health
laboratories are doing a better job of looking for and diagnosing
salmonella infections.
Still, the CDC classifies the outbreak as continuing, with the
most recent cases occurring June 13, a week after federal
authorities warned against eating certain types of tomatoes. The
most recent illness confirmed in Georgia started on June 11.
It can take two weeks or longer to link an infection to the
Salmonella Saintpaul strain behind the outbreak. That confirmation
starts with a person experiencing symptoms such as nausea and
diarrhea, and seeking medical help. A doctor might order a stool
sample sent for testing to a private lab to discover the source of
the gastrointestinal illness.
If that lab turns up salmonella, an illness that must be
reported to public health authorities, a state lab will conduct
further testing. A method called pulsed-field gel electrophoresis
compares the strain of salmonella from a patient with the outbreak
serotype. If they match, it's a confirmed case.
The majority of infections have occurred in Texas, with 293
cases, and New Mexico, with 80, the CDC said.
In Georgia, none of the cases appear to be related, Drenzek
said. Epidemiologists have interviewed 10 of those sickened. They
reported eating tomatoes bought in supermarkets or in restaurants.
Many ate the tomatoes in pico de gallo, salsa or guacamole, she
said.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent investigators to
farms in Florida and Mexico last week to examine steps along the
distribution chain - from farms to packinghouses and distribution
centers - to try to discover the source of the outbreak.
The FDA advises that grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and those
sold on the vine are safe to eat. Round red tomatoes, Roma and plum
tomatoes from areas cleared by the FDA are also safe to eat. For a
list of approved growing regions, which includes Georgia, North
Florida and other Southeastern states, go to www.fda.gov.
The FDA plans an update on the investigation today.
Elizabeth Lee writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
E-mail: elee AT ajc.com