| |
WEST VIRGINIA TOMATOES ON SAFE LIST IN SALMONELLA OUTBREAK
West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass is reassuring state consumers that tomatoes grown in the Mountain State have not been implicated in the recent outbreak of salmonella in a variety of states.
“There have been no reports of salmonella-related disease in West Virginia,” said Commissioner Douglass. “We’re confident that no producers in this state are linked with this current outbreak, and that consumers can feel safe if they are eating a West Virginia Grown tomato.”
“Consumers should determine the source of a tomato before they eat it,” Commissioner Douglass said. “A number of states have not been cleared as safe by FDA, and we consider tomatoes from those states to be suspect at this point.”
He added that some grocery stores and farmers’ markets likely were marking West Virginia Grown tomatoes as a convenience to shoppers.
In early June, The Food and Drug Administration warned consumers nationwide that consumption of certain raw red plum, red Roma, and red round tomatoes had been linked to illness in humans. FDA’s warning excluded cherry, grape and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, which the agency did not consider a risk to humans.
Since mid-April, there have been at least 145 reported cases of salmonellosis in at least 16 states, including at least 23 hospitalizations.
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections particularly in young children, frail or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, the organism can get into the bloodstream and produce more severe illnesses.
Consumers who have recently eaten raw tomatoes or foods containing raw tomatoes and are experiencing any of these symptoms should contact their health care provider. All salmonella infections should be reported to state or local health authorities.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
|
