A recent string of salmonella outbreaks may bring an early end to tropical summer fruit salads. Federal officials verified they have linked four separate salmonella outbreaks — totaling 215 illnesses — in recent months to papayas imported from Mexico. The outbreaks were reported from 26 different states. The majority of the outbreaks were initially concentrated in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and the South with New Jersey, Virginia and Texas reporting the highest number of instances. The salmonella scare has since spread to Arizona, Colorado and California. One Californian recently died, bringing the death toll to two. The other, a New Yorker, died after contracting salmonella in July. One California-based producer, Bravo Produce, issued a papaya recall after investigators traced bacteria to shipments from Tijuana. As standard procedure and in accordance with confidentiality laws, the FDA wouldn’t release the names if the retailers who sold the problematic produce. Instead, consumers are left to check their…