Salmonella at Indiana cantaloupe farm matches outbreak strain

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (AP) - The Food and Drug Administration says salmonella found at a cantaloupe farm in southwestern Indiana matches the "DNA fingerprint" of the salmonella responsible for a deadly outbreak that sickened people in 21 states.

FDA spokeswoman Shelly Burgess said Tuesday that testing was done on salmonella found on cantaloupes and surface areas at Chamberlain Farms in Owensville.

The results showed that the salmonella was of the same strain that caused the recent outbreak, which killed two Kentucky residents and sickened 178 people, including 62 who were hospitalized.

Burgess says the tests confirmed that the farm was a source of the bacteria. But she says the FDA is still investigating whether there were other possible sources tied to the outbreak.

Chamberlain Farms voluntarily withdrew its cantaloupes from stores two weeks ago.