Howard man diagnosed with infection linked to tainted tomatoes
Resident contracted salmonella infection while traveling
By Andrei Blakely
Posted 6/23/08
A 28-year-old traveling salesman is the first known Howard County resident diagnosed with a bacterial infection linked to contaminated tomatoes.
The resident is believed to have contracted an intestinal infection from Salmonella Saintpaul bacteria while he was traveling in upstate New York on business in early June, said Dr. Peter Beilenson, Howard County’s health officer.
The resident developed an intestinal infection June 6, received medical treatment in New York and did not require hospitalization, Beilenson said.
Earlier this month, federal health officials issued a national warning against eating raw tomatoes, including those of the red plum, red Roma and round red varieties, from several states outside of Maryland that were found to be sources of the bacteria.
Salmonella infections cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, according to the Centers for Disease Control. While the infection can pass through healthy adults without causing severe illness, it can do greater harm to the elderly, infants and those with impaired immune systems, according to the CDC.
The county will not release the name or address of the man infected with the bacteria due to patient confidentiality rules, Beilenson said. However, the man was infected by a tomato grown outside of Maryland, he said.
Howard County officials were alerted to the infected Howard man after health officials in New York transferred his information to them, Beilenson said. County officials then contacted the man, who said he had noticed some gastro-intestinal pain and sought treatment, he said.
“He is fine now,” Beilenson said.
Federal health officials have not found the origin of the outbreak, but they are slowly narrowing down the geographic base of the outbreak, Beilenson said.
Since April, Salmonella Saintpaul has infected 552 people in 32 states — including 18 in Maryland — and the District of Columbia, according to the CDC.
Beilenson said he believes the outbreak could be much worse, since many sick people do not seek treatment.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” he said.
The resident is believed to have contracted an intestinal infection from Salmonella Saintpaul bacteria while he was traveling in upstate New York on business in early June, said Dr. Peter Beilenson, Howard County’s health officer.
The resident developed an intestinal infection June 6, received medical treatment in New York and did not require hospitalization, Beilenson said.
Earlier this month, federal health officials issued a national warning against eating raw tomatoes, including those of the red plum, red Roma and round red varieties, from several states outside of Maryland that were found to be sources of the bacteria.
Salmonella infections cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, according to the Centers for Disease Control. While the infection can pass through healthy adults without causing severe illness, it can do greater harm to the elderly, infants and those with impaired immune systems, according to the CDC.
The county will not release the name or address of the man infected with the bacteria due to patient confidentiality rules, Beilenson said. However, the man was infected by a tomato grown outside of Maryland, he said.
Howard County officials were alerted to the infected Howard man after health officials in New York transferred his information to them, Beilenson said. County officials then contacted the man, who said he had noticed some gastro-intestinal pain and sought treatment, he said.
“He is fine now,” Beilenson said.
Federal health officials have not found the origin of the outbreak, but they are slowly narrowing down the geographic base of the outbreak, Beilenson said.
Since April, Salmonella Saintpaul has infected 552 people in 32 states — including 18 in Maryland — and the District of Columbia, according to the CDC.
Beilenson said he believes the outbreak could be much worse, since many sick people do not seek treatment.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” he said.
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