The Salmonella outbreak linked to Cargill ground beef sold at Hannaford grocery stores has hit Vermont hard. Of the 33 people sickened in the multi-state outbreak, 10 are from Vermont. And of 11 hospitalizations in seven states, three are from Vermont.
Vermont’s case patients, who became ill between June 6 and June 26, are from Addison, Chittenden, Franklin, Rutland. and Windham counties, according to the Vermont Department of Health (VDH). Since June, VDH has been part of a collaborative investigation that has grown to include, seven state health departments, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service (USDA, FSIS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
After laboratory testing confirmed that the Salmonella strain that sickened people and the one discovered in the ground beef were a genetic match, Cargill Meat Solutions issued ca recall for 30,000 pounds of ground beef. Because the beef was produced in late May and the recall wasn’t issued until late July the beef was no longer being sold and the “use-by” date had passed, but officials were concerned that some consumers may have some of the tainted beef in their freezers. The USDA has published a retail distribution list to let consumers know where the recalled ground beef was sold.
Salmonella poisoning symptoms include fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. An infection that enters the bloodstream can be life-threatening for children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. Public health officials urge anyone who ate the recalled beef an develops these symptoms to seek help from a health care provider.
