ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, April 3, 1997 TAG: 9704030060
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: MEXICO CITY
A Mexican official denied responsibility Wednesday for a U.S. outbreak of hepatitis believed to have been spread by Mexican-grown strawberries, saying U.S. processing was probably to blame.
It was reported Tuesday that 17 states might have been shipped tainted strawberries; but Wednesday, the USDA and FDA said only Michigan, Arizona, California, Georgia, Iowa and Tennessee received berries believed linked to the outbreak. All the people reported ill - 151 schoolchildren and teachers - are in Michigan.
Israel Camacho, assistant secretary of agriculture for Baja California state, where the strawberries were grown, said, ``It is more likely that the strawberries were contaminated, if they were contaminated, during processing and packing rather than during cultivation.''
-ASSOCIATED PRESS
LENGTH: Short : 27 linesby CNB