Rise in people sickened by salmonella-infected turkey: Nearly 300 people in 41 states have fallen ill, CDC report reveals
- Cases of salmonella have been reported in 41 states and the District of Columbia
- The nationwide total of illnesses is now 279, including one death in California
- Investigators have found the salmonella strain in raw ground turkey, raw turkey patties, raw turkey pet food and live turkeys
- No single common supplier has been identified, leading to fears the strain may be widespread in the turkey industry
Several more people have been infected with salmonella after eating contaminated turkey, federal health authorities say.
Since December, 63 more people have fallen ill – bringing the nationwide total to 279 in 41 states and the District of Columbia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The multi-state outbreak has resulted in 107 hospitalizations and one death in California.
Investigators have found the salmonella strain in raw ground turkey, raw turkey patties, raw turkey pet food and live turkeys.
Because of this, the CDC has not been able to identify a single, common supplier and the agency fears the strain may be widespread in the turkey industry.
Federal health officials say 63 more people have been infected with salmonella after eating contaminated turkey, bringing the nationwide total to 279 in 41 states and the District of Columbia
Although a supplier has not been identified, several products have been recalled since the outbreak began in November 2017.
The first recall occurred in February 2018 when Raw for Paws, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, recalled 4,000 pounds of certain chubs of its ground turkey pet food.
Then, in November 2018, Jennie-O Turkey Store Sales, based in Barron, Wisconsin, recalled nearly 150,000 pounds of raw ground turkey products.
Just one month later, Jennie-O recalled an additional 164,00 pounds of raw ground turkey products.
And, in January 2018, Woody’s Pet Food Deli in Minnesota recalled raw turkey pet food, but would not say how much of its product was affected.
Salmonella infections occur after eating raw meat and eggs or foods that are contaminated with the bacteria.
Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain that generally last between four and seven days.
According to the CDC, salmonella is the cause for 1.2 million illnesses, 23,000 hospitalizations, and 450 deaths in the US annually.
Most people can recover without treatment, although there are cases where antibiotics or IV fluids are needed.
The CDC says the US has experienced more salmonella outbreaks in 2018 than in any year since at least 2005.
In June 2018, Kellogg voluntarily recalled its popular children’s cereal Honey Smacks, which has been linked to a massive salmonella outbreak that infected 100 people.
In July 2018, Mondelez International recalled 16 varieties of Ritz Cracker Sandwiches and Ritz Bits products over salmonella risks, with two people falling.
That same month, Pepperidge Farm voluntarily recalled four types of Goldfish Crackers due to salmonella fears.
An outbreak of antibiotic-resistant salmonella linked to raw chicken sickened at least 92 people across 29 states, the CDC reported last October.
The outbreaks seem to have continued into 2019.
Last month, General Mills issued a nationwide voluntary recall of bags of Gold Medal Unbleached Flour over salmonella concerns.
Additionally, Whole Foods recalled various items in eight states over fears they contained salmonella.