New salmonella case confirmed
Source of
Article: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1239243907307010.xml&coll=7 4-state outbreak - A Washington County woman tests positive
for the bacteria related to ground pepper Thursday,
April 09, 2009 LYNNE
TERRY The Oregonian Staff Amid a flurry of food recalls, Oregon officials said Wednesday
they have confirmed a new case of salmonella infection related to an ongoing
outbreak associated with ground pepper. The latest case is a woman in Washington County, said William
Keene, senior epidemiologist with the state Public Health Division. County health authorities have left several messages on her
voice mail but have not been able to reach her yet, he said. She tested positive for the same rare strain of the bacteria
-- Salmonella Rissen -- that is implicated in a four-state outbreak related
to ground pepper, he said. "Normally there are only three or four cases a year in
the whole United States," Keene said. So far, 49 people have been sickened, with 39 in California,
five in Oregon, four in Nevada and one in Washington state. The pepper was imported from Vietnam and ground and packaged
by Union International Food Co. in Union City, Calif., in the Bay Area.
Contamination usually results from contact with animal feces, either in a
field or factory. Union International mainly sold to Asian restaurants or
distributors that sell to Asian restaurants. Although ground white pepper is considered to be the main
culprit, both white and black pepper distributed by Union International Food
that ended up in an Asian restaurant in Portland tested positive for Salmonella
Rissen, Keene said. There have been other positive tests linked to the
company's white pepper, including at a casino restaurant in Reno. Union International Food has recalled its white and black
pepper along with about a dozen other spices over fears of
cross-contamination at the company's Bay Area facility. Keene said suspect spices ended up at dozens of restaurants
from Umatilla County to the Oregon coast and southern Oregon to Portland
area. "It's not everywhere, but it's widespread," Keene
said. County health officials have authority for inspecting
restaurants. On Tuesday, EDS Wrap and Roll Foods in Hayward, Calif.,
recalled frozen vegetable and chicken egg rolls made with suspect black
pepper between July 28, 2008, and March 27, 2009. Managing Director Brian Ho said EDS mainly supplied
distributors and restaurants in California. He emphasized that the egg rolls had to be cooked, which can
kill the bacteria, and that no illnesses have been associated with them. |
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