CDC cutting back on salmonella outbreak

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is beginning to scale back its efforts on the salmonella outbreak linked to peanut butter products, issuing its final Web update Tuesday. The agency still expects new cases to emerge for at least several more months.

The CDC noted that the number of new cases has declined substantially since the peak in December. Illnesses are still being reported among people who ate recalled brands of peanut butter crackers, officials said. The last confirmed illness developed on Feb. 24.

• 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.

A total of 691 people in 46 states have taken ill, and the outbreak has been linked to nine deaths. It prompted one of the largest food recalls in U.S. history, with 3,488 products on the federal list.

The outbreak has been tracked to peanut plants in South Georgia and Texas owned by Peanut Corp. of America. The company has shut down operations and has become the focus of a federal criminal probe.