The U.S. Centers for Disease Control says today it has not activated any emergency group and has not identified any food source in an outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium that has been lab-confirmed in 388 cases in 42 states.

Apparently, that is driving Connecticut congresswoman Rosa DeLauro nuts, cause she said,

"Any delays in these critical investigations can sicken more people.”

Michael Doyle, director of the University of Georgia’s Center for Food Safety, sets things straight, noting that foodborne illness investigations can be very complicated, and it can take weeks or months for health officials to interview patients, find common links in what they ate, test suspected foods and come up with a clear-cut cause.

"There’s a lot more to this than meets the eye.”

There is. And at some point, politicians like DeLauro may pack away the posturing and provide some support for public health folks trying to do their jobs.