Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announces that it has identified two additional cases of Salmonella Saintpaul related to the national outbreak linked to tomatoes, for a total of three. The two new cases are New Hampshire residents, but it is unclear whether they were exposed in the State or elsewhere. DHHS is continuing to investigate potential cases associated with this outbreak. No one has been hospitalized and there have been no deaths in New Hampshire related to this outbreak.
"The patients range in age from 1 to 43 with onset of illness dates between May 31st and June 11th," said Dr. Jose Montero, Director of Public Health at DHHS. "This confirms that anyone who eats contaminated tomatoes is at risk and suggests that the outbreak is still ongoing. It is important to continue to avoid eating the types of tomatoes identified as potential sources of this Salmonella strain because this can be a serious illness."
The outbreak is still being investigated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A total of 707 cases have been identified in 34 states so far. The types of tomatoes considered safe to eat include grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and tomatoes still on the vine. Red plum, red Roma, and round red tomatoes have been linked to this outbreak and are considered unsafe unless they were grown and harvested from specific sources listed at www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/tomatoes.html. New Hampshire is on the FDA's list of states from which it is safe to eat any tomatoes if they were grown and harvested here. New Hampshire's tomato season will begin shortly.
"This outbreak is a reminder that food must be handled and cooked appropriately to reduce the risk of contamination and illness," continued Montero. "Fruits and vegetables should be washed with running water before eating and make sure to store and handle foods safely."
For information on safe food handling, refer to the FDA website www.cfsan.fda.gov/list.html or the U.S. Department of Agriculture at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/. For more information about this outbreak, refer to the DHHS website, the FDA website at www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/tomatqa.html, or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov/salmonella/saintpaul/. For questions about tomato safety or salmonella, please call the NH DHHS Communicable Disease Control Section at 1-603-271-4496 or 1-800-852-3345 x4496. |
