How Does Salmonella Infect Tomatoes?
Salmonella is an infection caused by the salmonella bacteria. It causes diarrhea, vomiting, fever and abdominal cramping. A person who becomes infected with the salmonella bacteria will usually get sick within 12 to 72 hours after exposure and the infection will last approximately three to seven days. Salmonella can cause severe dehydration, especially in the very young and the elderly. An outbreak of salmonella in 2008 was linked to tomatoes that were raised in Mexico. Salmonella is usually contracted from meat such as pork, poultry or beef that has become contaminated with the bacteria. Animals that are contaminated usually do not show any signs or symptoms of the disease. Contaminated animals grazing in pastures close to fields of tomatoes eat the forage, which passes through their body and is eliminated. Waste that is eliminated from an animal that is infected with salmonella is also infected with the bacteria. This waste falls on the ground and into nearby streams. This contaminat
