Local salmonella cases up

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — The number of salmonella saintpaul cases across New Mexico hit 71 Sunday and expanded to 18 counties, including McKinley, which has the most cases, Dr. Joan Baumbach, a medical epidemiologist with the state health department, said Sunday afternoon.

An outbreak of salmonella saintpaul is linked to three different kinds of tomatoes when eaten raw and uncooked: Red Roma, the red round and red plum.

Baumbach said McKinley has recorded 20 cases, with San Juan 9 and Cibola 3.

“We don’t know how much longer this may last, the first case was reported May 11 and the most recent on June 5,” she said.

Baumbach said preliminary investigation points toward tomatoes coming from Mexico, and fortunately, there have been no deaths from the disease.

Salmonella saintpaul is one of about 2,000 different types of salmonella which is a bacterial infection due to contaminated food.

One restaurant in Grants is restoring tomatoes to its menu today, others are being more conservative and awaiting further news.

“I removed tomatoes from my menu when the news hit about the salmonella outbreak,” said Ray Renon, owner of La Ventana Restaurant in Grants. “I plan to put tomatoes, which are cleared as safe by the FDA and my distributor, back on the menu Monday.”

There are no plans, however, for any types of tomatoes to be back on the menu anytime soon at two Gallup restaurants: Golden Corral and My Sister’s Place.

“We decided to pull the tomatoes for safety reasons, so no one would get sick,” Jim Hutchinson, Golden Corral general manager said Friday. “We are not substituting anything for the tomatoes and once the FDA clears them as safe, we will bring them back.”

“I am not putting tomatoes back until I hear on the news that they are safe,” Chris Mora, owner of My Sister’s Place said.

Major restaurant chains in the nation, including McDonald’s and Burger King, have also pulled tomatoes from the menu.

Lawrence Brantley, owner of Center Stage Deli in Grants, said he is still serving tomato sauce on his pizzas because the tomatoes are cooked when making the sauce.

MaryLou LaCasse, food program manager for the New Mexico Environment Department, said her department is now working closely with the health department in investigating the outbreak.

“The health department investigates the disease in people, we inspect and investigate restaurants and retail outlets,” she said.

Tomatoes from California, Florida and homegrown tomatoes have all been cleared as safe by the FDA and the CDC.

Repeated attempts to interview a representative of the FDA were unsuccessful.

To report illnesses suspected from eating tomatoes, call the environment department at (505) 476-8600

On the net: www.cdc.gov; www.fda.gov; www.health.state.nm.us

To contact reporter Jim Tiffin call (505) 285-4560 or e-mail: jtiffin.independent@yahoo.com.