Contra Costa Woman Contracts Salmonella Linked to Outbreak

By Roman Gokhman, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif.

Jun. 7–WALNUT CREEK — A Contra Costa County woman has been identified as having the same type of Salmonella connected to an outbreak in several other states.

The California Department of Public Health confirmed Friday that the woman had Salmonella Saintpaul, an uncommon strain that has been linked to raw tomatoes. The woman, who is older than 35, was not hospitalized and has recovered, Contra Costa Health Services spokeswoman Kate Fowlie said.

It is the first reported case involving a California resident, a state health official said.

The strain is the same type of Salmonella that has sickened 57 people in New Mexico, Texas and several other states, and 17 of those cases have included hospitalizations, officials said. Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, especially in the very young and elderly.

Salmonella causes diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps between 12 and 72 hours after infection, according to the CDC.

The state Department of Public Health said Friday that it is also working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other agencies to determine if an Oregon man confirmed to have Salmonella Saintpaul consumed a tomato in Southern California or elsewhere.

“We’re not sure where either person consumed (their) tomato,” California Public Health Department spokeswoman Janet Huston said.

Fowlie said officials are still investigating where

the Contra Costa County woman may have contracted the illness because she had recently traveled to a state where several other cases have occurred. Huston said there is no indication that tomatoes grown in California are responsible for the infections.

The FDA is recommending people limit their tomato consumption to cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still attached and homegrown varieties.

For more information about the outbreak, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site at www.cdc.gov/salmonella/saintpaul.

Reach Roman Gokhman at 925-945-4780 or rgokhman@bayareanewsgroup.com.

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