DONA ANA COUNTY, N.M. -- The New Mexico state health department says many of the state's recent salmonella cases are linked.

Health officials said many come from the same strain, which is being called "Saint Paul." So far 4 Dona Ana County residents have been affected.

Many people are gathering around their family, cooking on the grill this holiday.

“We’re celebrating a birthday party here,” said Toni Montoya of Tularosa.

But her family also knows there is an outbreak of salmonella in the state.

“I did see the news and I heard something about it,” said Frank Niño of West Las Cruces.

So while cooking they make sure to use good food safety practices.

“We use separate cutting boards for the vegetables and the meat. We also wash the chicken real good,” said Montoya.

“We make sure that all the patties are good when we open them up and throw them on the grill,” said Niño

A communications officer with the New Mexico Health Department said chicken, beef and eggs should be fully cooked, and those preparing food should wash their hands frequently. Lab technicians are trying to determine where these recent cases of salmonella are coming from.

“It's unusual to have 19 cases pop up in less than a month in six different counties so it has us concerned that something may be going on,” said Deborah Busemeyer with the New Mexico Department of Health. “They're working right now, today, on other suspect cases,” she said.

The goal is to find that link, whether food or animals, to prevent others from getting sick.

“In this instance we've had several people who had to be hospitalized because their symptoms were so severe,” said Busemeyer.

Doctors across the state are being warned that there are several cases of salmonella being detected in a short amount of time.

Symptoms include headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

Right now there are also 14 cases of salmonella in Texas. Other nearby states reporting cases are Colorado, Utah and Arizona.