The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released its latest update on the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak linked to ground beef produced by Jouni Meats, Inc. and Gab Halal Foods of Michigan. The outbreak appears to be over, but 22 people have been sickened. Seven people were hospitalized. There were no deaths in this outbreak.
The case count includes these patients: Arizona (1), Iowa (1), Illinois (2), Michigan (9), Pennsylvania (1), and Wisconsin (8). Illness onset dates ranged from December 9, 2012 to February 20, 2013. Patients range in age from 2 years to 87 years, with a median age of 45 years. Fifty-five percent of ill persons were male. The outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium that was found in the patients and in the ground beef has rarely been seen before in PulseNet.
The contaminated ground beef has been recalled, but some of it may still be in freezers in consumer’s homes. Consumers should check their freezers to see if they have the recalled products; if so, discard them. The meats were sold at Jouni Meats, Inc. in Sterling Heights, Michigan, and Gab Halal Foods in Troy, Michigan.
Ground beef should always been throughly cooked to 160 degrees F; never serve raw or undercooked ground beef or any ground meat. The bacteria, including Salmonella, Campylobacter, and E. coli present on all cuts of beef is spread throughout the product when meat is ground. The only way to kill those bacteria is to thoroughly cook the meat and use a meat thermometer to check the temperature.
