During the last six months, an episode of salmonella illnesses has sickened 77 individuals and killed one. The disease is proving tough to handle, as it is immune to several antibiotics. The authorities have yet to pin down a reason for this outbreak, though ground turkey is tentatively the culprit. The proof is here: 6 month salmonella outbreak still leaving FDA mystified.
Update, 3:22 p.m. Pacific Time: The USDA has announced a recall of 36 million pounds of ground Cargill brand turkey in conjunction with these diseases.
Salmonella outbreak
Since March 1, the CDC has reported at least 77 scenarios of drug-resistant salmonella infections in 26 states. A strain called Salmonella Heidelberg is what has shown up. Several people in the government have been attempting to link the Salmonella Heidelberg to some kind of food product or illness. No connection has been made so far. The infection has brought on 22 people to be put to the hospital.
Problem being faced
Figuring out the connection between a food product and the Salmonella Heidelberg Illness is the biggest problem the FDA and CDC face with the illness. A tentative connection has been established between the illnesses and ground turkey from an unnamed processing plant. However, salmonella isn't considered an "adulterant" because it exists in almost all commercial poultry goods.. It is something those with the diseases don’t even know where came from. They don’t know how to follow it down. Symptoms don’t show up right away. It will take 12 to 72 hours after eating the food most of the time. The Food and Drug Administration, United States Department of Agriculture and CDC cannot recall any kind of food without a connection that is definitive.
Safeguarding yourself from salmonella
It is very easy to protect yourself from the infection. Make sure any ground meat eaten is cooked to 165 degrees or higher so you can eat it safely. All hands, utensils and preparation surfaces should be cleaned with hot water and soap. Really, this ought to be what is done before and after preparing meat with them. Since food-safety rules aren’t always followed correctly, food-borne illnesses happen at home more than anywhere else. That means you should make sure you cook food to the right temperature and wash hands carefully. Without the right preparation, poultry-based salmonella is dangerous and deadly. It can be prevented though.
Articles cited
CBS News: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20087419-10391704.html
CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/02/california.salmonella/
Division of Environmental Health, State of Alaska: http://www.dec.state.ak.us/eh/fss/consumers/food_myths.htm
ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/drug-r...ound-ground-turkey-usda-mum/story?id=14217046
Update, 3:22 p.m. Pacific Time: The USDA has announced a recall of 36 million pounds of ground Cargill brand turkey in conjunction with these diseases.
Salmonella outbreak
Since March 1, the CDC has reported at least 77 scenarios of drug-resistant salmonella infections in 26 states. A strain called Salmonella Heidelberg is what has shown up. Several people in the government have been attempting to link the Salmonella Heidelberg to some kind of food product or illness. No connection has been made so far. The infection has brought on 22 people to be put to the hospital.
Problem being faced
Figuring out the connection between a food product and the Salmonella Heidelberg Illness is the biggest problem the FDA and CDC face with the illness. A tentative connection has been established between the illnesses and ground turkey from an unnamed processing plant. However, salmonella isn't considered an "adulterant" because it exists in almost all commercial poultry goods.. It is something those with the diseases don’t even know where came from. They don’t know how to follow it down. Symptoms don’t show up right away. It will take 12 to 72 hours after eating the food most of the time. The Food and Drug Administration, United States Department of Agriculture and CDC cannot recall any kind of food without a connection that is definitive.
Safeguarding yourself from salmonella
It is very easy to protect yourself from the infection. Make sure any ground meat eaten is cooked to 165 degrees or higher so you can eat it safely. All hands, utensils and preparation surfaces should be cleaned with hot water and soap. Really, this ought to be what is done before and after preparing meat with them. Since food-safety rules aren’t always followed correctly, food-borne illnesses happen at home more than anywhere else. That means you should make sure you cook food to the right temperature and wash hands carefully. Without the right preparation, poultry-based salmonella is dangerous and deadly. It can be prevented though.
Articles cited
CBS News: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20087419-10391704.html
CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/02/california.salmonella/
Division of Environmental Health, State of Alaska: http://www.dec.state.ak.us/eh/fss/consumers/food_myths.htm
ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/drug-r...ound-ground-turkey-usda-mum/story?id=14217046