<EM>Salmonella</EM> Outbreak Linked to Raw Tomatoes Strikes about 150

The Food and Drug Administration said Sunday that 145 to 150 people in 16 states have been sickened by salmonellosis, which has been linked to the consumption of raw red tomatoes.

The FDA initially issued a warning June 3 about tomatoes in New Mexico and Texas. Saturday, officials expanded the warning nationwide.

There were 25 hospitalizations but no deaths. The cause is a rare strain of salmonella called Salmonella Saintpaul.

"We're trying to get an answer as quickly as possible as to where these tomatoes came from," says David Acheson, director of the FDA's Food Safety and Security Staff.

The FDA hasn't been able to track the source of the contaminated tomatoes to a single grower or packer or even a specific geographic area. It is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state health departments and the food industry to track the cause of the outbreak.

States reporting illnesses linked to the outbreak include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Read the full USA Today story here.