The goverment’s efforts of finding the source of the salmonella outbreak seem to be misplaced, as so far no clear answers have been given about the illness. The inspectors from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been conducting numerous tests on soil, vegetables and water samples, in addition to the export logs check-ups and still, the problem persists. So far more than 900 people have been reported intoxicated and many more are expected to be announced.

One of the theories is that the bacteria originated from Mexico and at this point, three of the country’s major tomato-growing states are placed on the list of possible sources.

One of the most worrying aspects of the whole situation is that the country’s officials aren’t even sure that tomatoes are the cause of the disease, as they decided on adding peppers and cilantro to the list of foods possibly responsable for the outbreak.

The first incidents connected to the salmonella outbreak have been reported back in April and since then more than 940 people all across the United States have been infected, with more than a third in Texas, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

The disease appears when food is contaminated with fecal materials and its symptoms, which include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, can last for about a week.

Many of the people infected recover without treatment, so the number of cases across the country is surely larger. The disease is not normally considered life threatening, but there are cases when it can lead to death, especially with people with a weak immune system, like the elderly or children.