The raw turkey Salmonella Reading outbreak has grown to 216 sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Eighty-four people are hospitalized and one person who lived in California has died. This outbreak has also sickened people in Canada.
That’s an increase of 52 more ill persons since the last update on November 8, 2018. The case count by state is: Alabama (4), Alaska (2), Arizona (3), Arkansas (1), California (16), Colorado (6), Connecticut (3), Delaware (1), District of Columbia (2), Florida (8), Georgia (2), Hawaii (1), Idaho (2), Iowa (4), Illinois (21), Indiana (5), Kansas (1), Kentucky (1), Maryland (5), Massachusetts (3), Michigan (8), Minnesota (18), Missouri (3), Nebraska (1), New Jersey (9), New York (15), North Carolina (8), North Dakota (2), Ohio (8), Oklahoma (2), Oregon (2), Pennsylvania (10), South Carolina (1), South Dakota (2), Tennessee (2), Texas (17), Utah (1), Virginia (9), and Wisconsin (7). Illness onset dates range from November 20, 2017 to December 6, 2018. The patient age range is from less than 1 year to 99.
Officials know that turkey is linked to these illnesses because most of the 108 people who were interviewed after they got sick said they prepared or ate turkey products that were purchased raw before they got sick. Three of those people got sick after pets in their home ate raw ground turkey pet food. Four worked in a facility that raises or processes turkey.
Public health officials in Arizona and Michigan collected unopened Jennie-O brand ground turkey from homes of two ill persons and found the outbreak strain of Salmonella Reading.
Several recalls have been issued in this outbreak. Jennie-O Turkey Store recalled about 91,000 pounds of raw ground turkey products on November 15 2018. And on December 21, 2018, Jennie-O Turkey recalled about 164,000 pounds of raw turkey products.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a Salmonella infection, you can contact attorney Fred Pritzker for help by calling 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
Data indicates that this particular strain of Salmonella Reading may be present in live turkeys and in raw turkey products. Officials have not identified a single, common supplier of raw turkey products or live turkeys has not been identified.
That means that consumers will have to protect themselves by handling raw turkey products very carefully. Never wash a raw turkey in the sink. Watch out for cross-contamination by making sure the raw turkey or its juices do not come into contact with other objects in the kitchen or with foods that are eaten raw. Do not feed your pets raw turkey products. Cook turkey to a final internal temperature of 165°F and measure that temp with a food thermometer. And wash your hands and all countertops and utensils with warm soapy water after working with raw turkey.
