DeFusco’s Bakery in Johnston, Rhode Island, has now been linked with 47 cases of salmonellosis, with 23 lab-confirmed; of these, 24 people have been hospitalized and one died. Nine are still in the hospital.

The problem first came to light when 11 nursing-home residents got sick after eating zeppole, a custard-filled Italian pastry, made at DeFusco’s.

Sal DeLuise, owner of DeLuise Bakery in Providence, told The Providence Journal yesterday, “Some people were confusing my bakery with the bakery that caused the salmonella problem. They both begin with ‘De.’ ”

On Thursday, DeLuise took out an ad in The Providence Journal, assuring customers that his bakery “has never had an issue with the quality and integrity of the products we produce.”

“We’ve never had to place an ad like this before,” DeLuise said.

However, he thought he might have to in 2006 when there was an E. coli outbreak associated with spinach grown in California.

“For three or four months, people didn’t want to buy spinach pies,” DeLuise said.