U.S. salmonella probe expands to Mexico: CNN

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The investigation of a salmonella outbreak in the United States is shifting to the southern border to encompass produce imported from Mexico, CNN reported on Thursday.

U.S. health officials are struggling to find the source of the outbreak linked to certain types of tomatoes.

There have been at least 922 reported cases of salmonella food poisoning in 40 states and the District of Columbia since mid-April, CNN reported.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has alerted growers and brokers handling their products that, starting on Monday, inspectors will stop shipments from Mexico of ingredients common to Mexican cuisine, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the investigation.

Cilantro, jalapeno peppers, serrano peppers, scallions and bulb onions are among the products to be examined, it said.

Tomatoes continue to be the primary focus of the probe but officials have expanded the investigation to include produce commonly eaten with tomatoes.

An FDA spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

The salmonella outbreak comes two years after an E. Coli outbreak tied to tainted spinach killed three people in the United States and sickened more than 200.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Salmonella Saintpaul, the strain involved in the outbreak, is rare. Typically, the CDC sees only about 400 cases of Saintpaul infections in humans each year.

Salmonella can cause fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, according to the FDA.

(Reporting by JoAnne Allen; Editing by John O'Callaghan)