The Bradley County Jail is the Tennessee correctional facility where nine inmates were sickened with Salmonella poisoning after eating Tyson chicken, a county official told Food Poisoning Bulletin this morning. The outbreak may include cases in 12 other states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said yesterday. The agency is awaiting test results that will determine if the cases are linked.
The outbreak strain, Salmonella Heidelberg, is the same strain involved in the Foster Farms outbreak that has sickened more than 400 people, but test results on samples from the inmates show the illnesses are not related to that outbreak. The inmates, two of whom required hospitalization, began falling ill on the weekend after Thanksgiving.
Salmonella poisoning causes abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea that can be bloody. Long-term complications include heart problems and reactive arthritis, which affects the eyes and joints.
This outbreak is linked to mechanically separated chicken produced by Tyson. Mechanical separation forms a kind of meat paste that is used to make hot dogs, bologna, nuggets, and patties. It is not known at this time what the inmates were served or what other instituions received shipment of the now recalled product.
Tyson Foods Inc. of Sedalia, Mo. recalled the product January 10. About 34,000 pounds of the product, produced on Oct. 11, 2013 and sold in 40-lb. cases, containing four, 10-lb. chubs, were recalled. The recalled products have the establishment number “P-13556” inside the USDA mark of inspection with case code 2843SDL1412 – 18.
