We have certainly heard about our fair share of product recalls recently. Much of it is linked to Salmonella and that is the case with this warning. It is being given by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and they are investigating an outbreak of multi-drug-resistant Salmonella infections. The offending product is raw turkey. More than half of the states in the United States are now reporting illness because of this particular infection.
The following is a list of the states that were impacted: Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Minnesota, Texas, Illinois and New York have the highest number of cases out of those 26 states.
The CDC is reporting that 90 people have become ill after eating products that included ground turkey. 40 of those individuals required hospitalization. As of yet, there have been no deaths associated with this outbreak.
A particular strain of salmonella, salmonella reading, is the culprit. It is linked to various types of poultry, including turkey and swine. It is sometimes also found in produce, typically because of cross-contamination. A nationwide outbreak of salmonella occurred in 2016 that included salmonella reading and Salmonella abony. Those salmonella outbreaks were linked to alfalfa sprouts.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has put out some serious warnings associated with the recent outbreak of salmonella. They want people to be extra cautious when working with any products containing raw turkey.
Some specific things that can be done to help reduce this possibility is to use extra caution when preparing turkey. Thoroughly washing your hands after touching raw turkey and heating it till it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F is important, as it will kill the salmonella bacteria.
In addition, a warning is being provided by the CDC for pet owners. Many pet foods contain raw turkey and handling the pet food could lead to illness.
“Germs like salmonella in raw pet food can make your pets sick,” announces the CDC. “Your family also can get sick by handling the raw food or by taking care of your pet.”
There are not any recalls in place as of yet because it is not associated with one manufacturer or farm. It is a general warning being provided by the CDC so that people use extra caution when dealing with raw meat.
Salmonella poisoning can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. If you have those symptoms and have recently handled or eaten raw turkey, seek medical attention right away.
Many people who are infected with salmonella recover without the need for medical intervention but it is always better to be safe. That is especially true if you are particularly vulnerable to infections, such as if you have a weakened immune system or if you are under 5 or over 65 years of age.
