Personal Injury Law

Salmonella Outbreak Appears Over; Questions Remain

?The outbreak appears to be over,? a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released August 28th stated. ?However, C.D.C. and state health departments are continuing to conduct surveillance for cases of infection with the outbreak strain.?

The New York Times reports the illness has apparently dissipated but questions still remain regarding the pathogen?s origins. Salmonella carrying suspects include Jalapeno peppers described as a ?major vehicle?, Serrano peppers described as ?also a vehicle?, and Tomatoes described at one time to be ?possibly were a vehicle for infection, particularly early in the outbreak?. In a case control study Tomatoes were a vehicle for infection early in the outbreak particularly in the consumption of raw tomatoes. Studies found that relatively few people had eaten raw peppers before becoming sick while a large number of the ill did eat raw tomatoes prior to showing symptoms of e. coli bacterial infection. This supports the possibility of contamination of other produce items, including tomatoes, during growing, processing, or distribution.

Product Liability falls on the farms that grow, process, and distribute these produce. The Baltimore sun reports that ?These findings indicate that additional measures are needed to enhance food safety and reduce illnesses from produce that is consumed raw,? the report said.

If you or a loved one have experienced any form of illness in New York after eating produce please contact the experienced New York Foodborne Illness Attorneys at Wingate, Russotti, & Shapiro who have been specializing in food poisoning cases for many years and have a proven success record. Please call 212-222-4336 for a free and confidential consultation.

Full post as published by New York Injury Talk Blog on September 10, 2008 (boomark / email).