The Tri-City Herald reports this morning that more than a half dozen cases of salmonella in Walla Walla and Umatilla counties are being investigated.  The county health departments are waiting for results from state labs that could indicate whether these cases are related to a national salmonella outbreak, department administrators said.  As Genni Lehnert, the administrator for Umatilla County Public Health said:

“It could very well be linked to the national outbreak,” she said.  But only lab results identifying the strain will tell.

The national outbreak that is likely caused by raw tomatoes had not yet hit Washington state as of Wednesday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Nearly 100 people in 11 states have been infected with salmonella since late April.  The specific type and source of tomatoes is under investigation, but large tomatoes like Roma and red round might be the source, according to the CDC.