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Arkansas reports two cases of salmonella food poisoning Thursday, Jun 12, 2008 By Jason Wiest Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Two people in Arkansas have contracted Salmonella Saintpaul infections related to the recent multi-state outbreak with its source in tomatoes, the state Department of Health reported Wednesday. Both individuals contracted the virus before May 15 from raw tomatoes grown outside Arkansas, department spokesman Ed Barham said. Barham declined to identify the infected individuals but said they were not related and that they lived across the state from one another. One contracted the bacteria from tomatoes eaten in a restaurant, while the other contracted it from tomatoes purchased at a grocery store, he said. Tomatoes grown in Arkansas have not been associated with the 17-state outbreak. Arkansas' tomato harvest began last week. The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating the possible source of the Arkansas infections, the department said. According to the CDC, 167 people have contracted Salmonella Saintpaul since mid-April. At least 23 people have been hospitalized. Consumers nationwide have been warned that consumption of tomatoes should be limited to cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, tomatoes grown at home or from states not associated with the outbreak. The preliminary data has shown that raw red plum tomatoes, raw red Roma, or round red tomatoes are the sources of the outbreak, the department said. |
