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Salmonella Probe Adds Foods Served With Tomatoes

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Jul 1, 2008 4:58 pm US/Central

Salmonella Probe Adds Foods Served With Tomatoes

DALLAS (CBS 11 News/AP) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: Red Plum/Red Roma tomatoes implicated in outbreak
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The nationwide salmonella outbreak has sickened more than three dozen people in North Texas. Tuesday the federal government questioned if tainted tomatoes are really the culprit.

Tomatoes are still considered the prime suspect in the salmonella outbreak, but health officials are no longer 100-percent sure they're the cause. Of the 1,700 samples of tomatoes that health officials have tested not one has tested positive for salmonella.

Despite federal warnings and precautions taken by consumers and grocers people continue to fall ill with the infection.

More than 800 people have been sickened since April, and investigators said last week they are no closer to finding the cause. Nearly 350 people in Texas have contracted the infection – 13 in Dallas County and 25 in Tarrant County.

A joint investigation by local, state and federal health departments is now at foods often eaten with raw tomatoes - such as ingredients used in fresh salsa and guacamole.

"Keep an open mind. We certainly continue to ask the questions when we don't find the smoking gun the first time around. For example in this case, we got to look for associated foods, associated potential sources," said Dr. John Carlo with the Dallas County Health Department.

Salmonella bacteria live in the intestinal tracts of people and animals. Food outbreaks typically are caused by direct contamination with animal feces or use of contaminated water on foods eaten raw or not fully cooked.

Fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps typically start eight to 48 hours after infection and can last a week. Many people recover without treatment. In fact, the CDC estimates that for every confirmed salmonella patient, there can be 30 to 40 others who didn't see a doctor or weren't tested -- although fewer are uncounted during headline-grabbing outbreaks.

For now, the Food and Drug Administration continues to urge consumers nationwide to avoid raw red plum, red Roma or red round tomatoes unless they were grown in specific states or countries that the agency has cleared of suspicion.