A Salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 14 people in New York, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire has been linked to ground beef sold at Hannaford Supermarkets, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Scarborough, Maine-based Hannaford a recall on an undetermined amount of fresh ground beef on December 15, after information gathered from epidemiologic and traceback investigations conducted by the FSIS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state health officials linked the illnesses to ground beef sold at Hannaford stores.
Of the 14 patients, 11 reported eating ground beef before becoming ill, and 10 of them said they purchased ground beef at Hannaford stores in Maine, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire between Oct. 12 and Nov. 20, according to FSIS.
The outbreak strain, an antibiotic-resistant strain of Salmonella Typhimurium, has hospitalized seven people, according to the CDC. No deaths have been reported. FSIS has not yet determined suppliers who may have responsibility and no other product description is available at this time, according to the CDC.
The recalled ground beef was sold in packages bearing sell-by dates of Dec. 17, 2011 or earlier and was sold at Hannaford stores in Maine, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire. FSIS and the company are concerned that some consumers may have frozen the product.
The products subject to recall are any size package of the following:
“73% Hannaford Regular Ground Beef”
“75% Hannaford Regular Ground Beef”
“80% Hannaford Regular Ground Beef”
“85% Hannaford Regular Ground Beef”
“90% Hannaford Regular Ground Beef”
“80% Taste of Inspirations Angus Ground Beef”
“85% Taste of Inspirations Angus Ground Beef”
“90% Taste of Inspirations Angus Ground Beef”
“85% Nature’s Place Ground Beef”
“90% Nature’s Place Ground Beef”
Eating food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, a serious, sometimes life-threatening infection. Young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems are at particular risk. Symptoms of an infection usually develop within 12 to 72 hours after ingestion and include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever.
