Salmonella linked with Mexican farm's irrigation water

July 30, 2008 12:15 PM

Updated: July 30, 2008 12:26 PM

WASHINGTON (KRQE) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday said it has linked the recent Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak with irrigation water at a Mexican farm.

The outbreak has sickened more than 1,300 people nationwide since April, including more than 100 in New Mexico.

The FDA also linked salmonella to a Serrano pepper at the farm in Nuevo León, Mexico.

Previously, the FDA had traced a contaminated jalapeño to a farm in another part of Mexico.

FDA food safety chief Dr. David Acheson called the finding a key breakthrough in the case.

The outbreak was originally linked with tomatoes, but officials say it's quite possible that it was caused by several different kinds of contaminated produce.