The number of people infected with salmonella in Texas has risen to 35 from 21 since Tuesday, the first time when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that tomatoes might be the source of a salmonella outbreak in nine US states.

The states affected the most were Texas and New Mexico, followed by Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas and Utah. The good news is that no death has been reported so far. Of course there is also a bad news, as the CDC officials have not identified the exact source, farm or grocery store of the outbreak. Therefore, “the specific type source of tomatoes is under investigation,” CDC’s epidemiologist Casey Barton Behravesh said.

However, early information showed that raw red plum, red Roma, or round red tomatoes might be the source of the bacteria that can cause infection.

The confirmed cases of salmonellsosis in Texas were found in Bell, Cameron, Dallas, Fort Bend, Harris, Hays, Jim Wells, Nueces, San Patricio, Tarrant and Travis counties.

Salmonellosis is a bacterial infection that lives in the intestinal tracts of human and other animals. The bacterium is usually transmitted to humans by eating foods contaminated with animal feces. It can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail in elderly people and others with weakened immune system.

Symptoms of salmonella include fever, diahrea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should immediately contact a health care provider, health officials said.

Most people recover from salmonella illness without special treatment, but cases of severe diarrhea require medical attention and there’s a risk of infection spreading from the intestines to the bloodstream, a condition that could turn fatal.

To avoid infection with salmonella people are urged to cook tomatoes at 145 degrees for at least 15 seconds to kill any possible Salmonella, to avoid purchasing bruised or damaged tomatoes and to discard any that appear spoiled, to thoroughly wash all tomatoes under running water or refrigerate within two hours or discard cut, peeled or cooked tomatoes. Also, people are urged to wash utensils, dishes, cutting boards with soap and hot water when switching between foods and wash hands thoroughly and frequently with warm water and soap before cooking.

Some stores have already pulled tomatoes from their shelves to prevent any possible infection with salmonella. However, nothing indicated that any of the groceries’ products were responsible for any of the illnesses that have been reported. The move was a precaution until official word gives those types of tomatoes clearance. People can still enjoy other varieties of tomatoes. Big restaurants in Texas like El Chico and Darden Restaurants and several others have also given up cooking with tomatoes for now, as their customers’ health is a top priority for their representatives.