Salmonella found in Conn. peanut butter

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Connecticut officials say testing on an unopened tub of King Nut peanut butter taken from a West Haven distributor last week has found the same strain of salmonella that has sickened people across the country.

Officials with the state Department of Consumer Protection say it was the first sample of salmonella from an unopened container of a peanut product to be matched genetically to the salmonella strain responsible for the national outbreak.

The Food and Drug Administration has traced the outbreak to a Georgia plant owned by Peanut Corp. of America, which makes peanut products and sells them to institutions and food companies.

The outbreak may have contributed to the deaths of six people and sickened more than 485 others in 43 states, including nine people in Connecticut who have recovered.