Salmonella siickens 77
More New Mexicans report illnesses
suspected from tomatoes

Staff and wire report

SANTA FE — The number of New Mexicans who have reported becoming sick after eating fresh tomatoes linked to salmonella poisoning has grown to 77, state health and environmental officials said Tuesday.

The departments were urging people and retailers to limit their consumption of tomatoes to the list of safe producers on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Web site.

“We are concerned that people or retailers still have contaminated tomatoes on their shelves or in refrigerators,” said Environment Secretary Ron Curry. “The FDA list of safe producers includes New Mexico, but contaminated tomatoes from other locations could still be in the state.”

Friday, 70 New Mexicans from 17 counties have reported becoming sick, with cases under investigation coming from Luna, Bernalillo and McKinley counties, the Department of Health said. By Tuesday, that number had climbed to 77.

The latest report came from a 63-year-old Rio Arriba County man who told health officials he ate salsa with an unknown type of tomatoes.

Other patients have reported eating the types of tomatoes that have been implicated in the outbreak — Roma tomatoes and large, round tomatoes.

The FDA said grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached are safe.

On the Net:
FDA: http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/tomatoes.html