LOS ANGELES, June 18 (Reuters) - U.S. food safety officials on Wednesday said more than 350 people have fallen ill in a Salmonella outbreak linked to certain types of tomatoes.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 383 people in 30 states have been infected with Salmonella Saintpaul, a rare strain of the bacteria.

The most recent report of onset is June 5 and at least 48 people have been hospitalized, CDC said.

The rise in cases is due to increased monitoring by states and the completion of a significant amount of lab work, CDC said.

"We do not think the outbreak is over," Robert Tauxe, deputy director of CDC's division of foodborne, bacterial and mycotic diseases.

Food safety experts have linked the outbreak to tainted raw round, plum and Roma tomatoes and have not yet identified the source of contamination.

"There is certainly a high likelihood that they came from Mexico or Florida," David Acheson, director of food safety for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (Editing by Leslie Gevirtz)

AlertNet news is provided by