In August 2018, the Doniphan County Health Department and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment investigated an outbreak of Salmonella Newport infections among persons who ate food served at a community Election Day Indian taco dinner on August 7.

Ten laboratory confirmed cases and 55 probable cases were identified with illness onset dates ranging from August 7 to August 14. Eleven people were hospitalized. No one died.

A leftover sample of tomatoes tested positive with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Newport. Tomatoes served at the dinner were donated by three persons. Two of the three donated a small number of tomatoes from their home gardens; most of the tomatoes served at the event were donated by the third person who purchased the tomatoes from a grocer in Missouri. Tomatoes were prepared on-site; no source of contamination for the tomatoes was confirmed, and no opportunities for cross-contamination were identified. Environmental sampling of tomatoes and various environmental sources from the grocer and grocer’s tomato suppliers was conducted by Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. All samples were negative for Salmonella.