U.S.: Salmonella linked to turkey sickens dozens, one dead

Less than a week ago another story of food chain processing problems began to emerge as people across many states started getting seriously ill with Salmonella.

This illustrates a significant point:

 Cheap Meat,

possible due to large scale meat processing and packaging,

is both a strength/asset for Americans

as well as

a significant weakness/liability.

Local food processing and distribution networks scattered across the USA would provide nearly the same economic benefit (i.e. inexpensive food) at a significantly decreased RISK to the American consumer, the food supply chain, and people's health across half a nation.

2 August - A multistate outbreak of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella believed to be linked to eating contaminated ground turkey has sickened 77 people and resulted in one known death, U.S. health authorities said. Some 26 states reported the illness between March 1 and August 1, with Michigan, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California and Pennsylvania reporting the most cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. Public health officials were still looking for the source of the contamination, but preliminary information suggested that a single production facility may be involved. Reuters.

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http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/heidelberg/080111/

Introduction

CDC is collaborating with public health officials in many states and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg infections that is likely caused by eating ground turkey. Public health investigators are using DNA “fingerprints” of Salmonella bacteria obtained through diagnostic testing with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, or PFGE, to identify cases of illness that may be part of this outbreak. They are using data from PulseNet, the national subtyping network made up of state and local public health laboratories and federal food regulatory laboratories that performs molecular surveillance of foodborne infections. The outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg is resistant to many commonly prescribed antibiotics; this antibiotic resistance can increase the risk of hospitalization or possible treatment failure in infected individuals.

A total of 77 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg have been reported from 26 states between March 1 and August 1, 2011. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows:AL (1), AZ (2), CA (6), GA (1), IA (1), IL (7), IN (1), KY (2), LA (1), MA (1), MI (10), MN (1), MO (2), MS (1), NC (1), NE (2), NV (1), NY (2), OH (10), OK (1), OR (1), PA (5), SD (3), TN (2), TX (9), and WI (3).

Among persons for whom information is available, illnesses began on or after March 9, 2011. Ill persons range in age from less than 1 year to 88 years old, with a median age of 23 years old. Forty-eight percent are female. Among the 58 ill persons with available information, 22 (38%) have been hospitalized. One death has been reported.

Click the CDC link above to read the rest of the detailed information from the CDC about this outbreak.