A ground beef Salmonella outbreak has sickened at least 26 people in Illinois, according to the Illinois Department of Public health (IDPH). That agency is working with local health departments, the CDC, and the USDA to investigate this outbreak.
A source of the ground beef has not been identified. As always, use care when handling raw meat and treat it as if it was contaminated. Ground beef can often be contaminated with pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli. The cut the ground beef is made from can have pathogens on the surface, and those pathogens are mixed throughout the meat when it is ground.
Avoid cross-contamination, wash your hands and utensils after working with ground beef, and always cook it to 160°F and measure that temperature with a food thermometer. And promptly chill any perishable foods, at least within two hours after cooking.
The 26 confirmed cases live in these counties: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will. There are also ill people in the city of Chicago. Illness onset dates range from April 26 to May 18, 2023. A “small number” of cases in other states are also under investigation. Some of the patients said they ate undercooked ground beef before they got sick.
Symptoms of a Salmonella infection start 12 to 72 hours after eating food contaminated with this pathogen. Patients usually experience fever, chills, headache, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, abdominal pain and cramps, and diarrhea that may be bloody.
If you live in Illinois and have been sick with those symptoms after eating ground beef, see your doctor. You may be part of this ground beef Salmonella outbreak.
If you have been sickened with a Salmonella food poisoning infection after eating ground beef, please contact our experienced attorneys for help with a possible lawsuit at 1-888-377-8900 or text us at 612-261-0856. Our firm represents clients in lawsuits against grocery stores, restaurants, and food processors.
Why don’t they ask these sick people, “where did you eat hamburger in the past week” and “Where did you buy hamburger in last 2 weeks that you ate”.
Then look at the common answers as the probable source.
Can even then evaluate the mixing of sources of beef that ended up at the suspect location.
This is NOT rocket science..
That is exactly what investigators do. Unfortunately, I think it falls apart at traceback. Not all corporations keep the best records. And there may be conflicting information, since patient’s memories aren’t perfect. I do agree that more outbreaks should be solved, but that’s not often the case.