michael skeels runs the laboratory that processed samples from the dalles salmonella outbreak.biologists discovered that all of the victims had the same strain of salmonella, one that was exceptionally rare. >> it was dulcitol negative, which means it didn't biochemically break down a sugar called dulcitol. and that's only the case for 2% of salmonellas of this type. >> this salmonella had another odd characteristic. unlike most bacteria, this one was not resistant to antibiotics. when all the cases were tallied, there had been 751 cases of salmonella poisoning. two months after the outbreak the state of oregon reported that poor hygiene of restaurant workers and cross-contamination were the most likely causes of the outbreak. in other words, they didn't know. >> if you've worked in public health long enough you'll figure out that lots of times you really can't pinpoint where things come from. >> local officials now began to suspect a religious cult outside of town. the rajneeshis. as the rajneeshis expanded their compound there had been growing tension between cult leaders and