The state health department says a jalapeno pepper purchased in Montezuma County has been linked to a multi-state outbreak of salmonella.

The pepper was given to health workers by someone who became ill. It was purchased at a Wal-Mart around June 24th and the person became sick on July 4.

The state says tests have confirmed that the pepper was tainted with the same strain of salmonella that has sickened about 1,300 people nationwide. The health department says it's the first pepper to be directly linked to an ill person in the outbreak.

Only jalapeno peppers grown in Mexico have been implicated in the nationwide outbreak.