Posted on 07/05/2008 2:50:15 PM PDT by kingattax
WASHINGTON - Investigators are seeing more signs that the salmonella outbreak blamed on tomatoes might have been caused by tainted jalapeno peppers and have begun collecting samples from restaurants and from the homes of those who have been sickened, according to health officials involved in the probe.
New interviews with those who became infected found that many had eaten jalapeno peppers, often in salsa served with Mexican food, according to two state health officials. So far, none of the jalapenos taken from restaurants and from the homes of those who became ill have tested positive for Salmonella saintpaul.
Echoing federal officials, who said this week that tomatoes remain the prime suspect, the health officials said that tomatoes cannot be ruled out as the cause of the outbreak. Investigators have been collecting samples of another possible suspect, cilantro, though the herb is less likely to be the source, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is continuing.
The outbreak, which began 12 weeks ago, is believed to be the largest of its kind, and new cases continue to emerge. It has sickened more than 920 people across the country, up from 756 one week ago, and sent more than 110 to the hospital. In Maryland, 29 people have been confirmed to have the illness, which can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and, in severe cases, death.
In late May, investigators began focusing on tomatoes as the probable source of the outbreak. But they expanded their investigation last week, asking 100 labs around the country to help, because the number of new infections kept growing despite the short shelf life of tomatoes and warnings to avoid certain varieties.
(Excerpt) Read more at baltimoresun.com ...
Peter Piper picked a peck of putrid peppers - a peck of putrid peppers Peter Piper picked!
Any links to organic growing techniques again?
Given that the source is fecal contamination,
was not aware that peppers had an anus.
Like the anthrax attacks in 2001, round and round and
round our leaders go, ignoring the obvious.
Sal Monella. The hit man of germs.
Now that they’ve killed the tomato industry...
If this were true, I’d be dead.
Those growing fields in Mexico - do you think those owners give their field workers a toilet break???
And also, do you think the compassionate American farmowners give their illegal alien slaves a toilet break?
The real story here is who put the arm twist on the FDA to let the Mexicans off the hook?
Some of the growers here in Florida have been hit really hard. One talked of having to retrieve several tens-of-thousands of dollars worth of ripening tomatoes that had already been delivered to the buyers.
Slowly but surely the US Government is grinding to a halt. It's gotten so big and so bloated that it can't even do the things now that are legitimately its job to do.
My heart really goes out to the farmers that have been hurt so badly by this. Imagine waking up one morning and being told your entire harvest, that you've already paid to plant, grow, pick and deliver is tainted. Not only are you out the money you had invested in the crop, you've lost the profit and along with it in some cases, everything needed to get another crop in the ground and off to market.
This is another in a growing list of things government has done that have gone awry, not unlike the ethanol debacle.
I'm afraid were coming to the point where the only answer is a depression, deep enough and long enough to do to government what the voters have been unwilling to do. If it comes to that the voters will not blame themselves, but they're the one who put these goof balls in office over and over and over.
I think the end of the line just might come with an Obama election victory.
I predict that this whole episode is going to come down to some governmental agencies insisting that if they only had more money with which to operate, these things would not happen ... but if it did happen, they would be all over it in a heartbeat. Watch.
Now that our ever-more incompetent, politically correct, government has bankrupted a good portion of the tomato growers and packers and thrown thousands and thousands of people out of work they go “Uh - Oh!”
They will destroy the entire US agriculture business before they look at Mexican imports - the most likely source of contaminated produce.
Poisoning people that Americans refuse to poison!
Of course tomato, lettuce, pepper, and all fruit farmers will be bankrupt when they figure it out.
Hee hee hee
You got it.
That’s my user ID on Gardenweb lol.
pkapeckopickldpepprz
Maybe the afflicted people brought the salmonella with them from work ~ you know, the folks who use those funky dishrags to wipe up your counter.
Glad I grow my own peppers and most of the tomatoes I eat as well.
Baked salmonella loaf with jalapeno pepper sauce ! Yum!
Is it just my cynical imagination, or do we not always have similar crises before presidential elections?
Shortages of flu vaccine that left older folks standing in lines passing out from the heat (circa 2004) that disappeared with vaccine excess after the election?
I think I saw that Lou Dobbs was screaming for presidential impeachment due to the “tomato crisis”.
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