Salmonella death in U.S. rises to seven

Salmonella bacteria
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WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 (Chinese media) -- One Minnesota woman

in her 80s has died from salmonella poisoning, bringing the total number of

deaths related to the outbreak of salmonella in the U.S. to seven, officials

from the Minnesota Department of Health said on Saturday.

According to the officials, it was not clear whether

the woman had eaten any contaminated peanut butter. In all, there have been

three deaths in Minnesota, two in Virginia and one each in North Carolina and

Idaho.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

(FDA) said the sole source of the U.S. salmonella outbreak involving

contaminated peanut butter appears to be the Peanut Corp of America's Blakely,

Georgia, processing facility.

The company produces peanut butter for use in nursing

homes and cafeterias, as well as a concentrated product used in many

commercially produced products, including cakes, cookies, crackers, candies,

cereal and ice cream.

More than 200 peanut butter and peanut paste products

from at least 38 companies have been recalled so far in the ongoing salmonella

outbreak, according to the latest count posted on the website of the U.S.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As of Wednesday evening, 491

people had been reported infected by a salmonella outbreak by public health

authorities in 43 of the 50 U.S. states, the CDC said on its website.

Salmonella bacteria is the most common source of food

poisoning in the United States, causing serious and sometimes fatal infections

in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune

systems. Healthy people infected with it often experience fever, diarrhea,

vomiting and abdominal pain.