Rash of salmonella tied to restaurants

Contaminated fresh tomatoes served in restaurants were the cause of a recent salmonella outbreak that sickened dozens of people in 21 states, health officials said.

The outbreak, now over, sickened at least 183 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. There were no reports of deaths, although 22 people were hospitalized. Interviews with victims, including detailed surveys of what they had eaten and where before falling sick, led investigators to determine restaurant tomatoes were the cause.