Outbreak and its aftermath

2008: Seven tests performed for Peanut Corporation of America are positive for salmonella. The products should have been destroyed. Instead, Peanut Corp. retested, received a negative and shipped.

Sept. 8: The first reported salmonella Typhimurium illnesses begin, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• For all the latest developments on the peanut crisis and the salmonella outbreak, with an updated list of recalled items, plus background on the scare, go to the AJC's special report: ajc.com/peanuts.

Nov. 10: The CDC detects a cluster of 13 genetically identical salmonella cases in 12 states. Two weeks later, a second cluster of 27 cases in 14 states is detected.

Nov. 25: Working with state and local partners, the CDC begins an epidemiological assessment.

Dec. 3: Claude Ivester, an elderly man in eastern Elbert County, falls violently ill. Tests confirm he is infected with salmonella Typhimurium.

Dec. 21: Shirley Mae Almer, 72, dies in a nursing home in Brainerd, Minn.

Jan. 5: Suspecting peanut butter, investigators from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture confiscate an open, 5-pound bucket of King Nut peanut butter at a nursing home and take it to the lab for testing.

Jan. 9: Lab results in Minnesota show presence of salmonella in the tub of King Nut peanut butter, manufactured at the Peanut Corp. plant in Blakely. Food and Drug Administration begins inspection of the plant.

Jan. 10: King Nut recalls its peanut butter manufactured by Peanut Corp.

Jan. 13 : Peanut Corp. announces a voluntary recall of peanut butter produced in its Blakely processing plant on or after July 1 because of possible salmonella contamination.

Jan. 16: Food inspectors confirm the presence of salmonella bacteria in an unopened 5-pound tub of peanut butter at a Connecticut food distributor. Workers at the Peanut Corp. plant in Blakely punch out — never to return.

Jan. 18: Peanut Corp. expands the recall of peanut butter and voluntarily recalls peanut paste made on or after July 1.

Jan. 21: Through lab tests and analysis, CDC, FDA and state public health officials confirm the source of this salmonella outbreak as peanut butter and peanut paste produced by Peanut Corp.

Jan. 27: The FDA finishes its investigation of the Blakely plant and finds that Peanut Corp. shipped tainted products 12 times in the past two years and failed to document proper cleaning. See the report.

Jan. 28: Peanut Corp. again expands the recall to include peanuts and peanut products processed in Blakely since Jan. 1, 2007.

Jan. 30: A federal criminal probe of Peanut Corp. is launched.

Feb. 13: Peanut Corp. files for bankruptcy.

Today: Nearly 3,000 Peanut Corp. products have been recalled. Nine deaths are linked to the outbreak strain of salmonella Typhimurium tied to the plant in Blakely. Almost 700 people are reported sickened.

Sources: The Associated Press, AJC research