Sunday, November 11, 2018

CDC Investigating Ongoing Salmonella Outbreak Associated with Raw Turkey.....Just in Time for Thanksgiving

CDC is investigating an ongoing Salmonella outbreak involving raw turkey.  There have been 135 cases in 35 different states with 63 hospitalizations and one death.  CDC has not been able to pinpoint an exact source except that it is related to raw turkey.  The strain, Salmonella Reading, is sufficiently virulent to be causing this ongoing and serious issue.

So with Thanksgiving upon us, it is especially important this year to follow proper practices.  
  • Wash your hands after touching raw turkey or drippings.
  • Wash all surfaces after contacting raw turkey or drippings (cutting boards, refrigerator shelves, knives, etc)
  • Cook your turkey to the right temperature.  Use a thermometer to verify at least 165F.  But this year, go a few degrees more than you normally do just to be safe.
A few other important things.....
  • Don't wash your turkey in the sink spraying that turkey stuff all over.
  • Cook the stuffing separate from the bird.  Sure, you may like it better, but it ain't worth sitting on the pot for a week.
  • Don't eat raw or undercooked turkey.  If your Aunt Mabel serves it undercooked, it is time to set her straight. 
  • Don't feed your dog raw turkey dog food.
CDC Investigation Notice
https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/reading-07-18/index.html
Outbreak of Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella Infections Linked to Raw Turkey Products
Posted November 8, 2018 at 11:45 AM EDT


At A Glance
Reported Cases: 164
States: 35
Hospitalizations: 63
Deaths: 1

Outbreak Update
  • Seventy-four more ill people from 26 states were added to this investigation since the last update on July 19, 2018.
  • As of November 5, 2018, 164 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Reading have been reported from 35 states. ◦63 people have been hospitalized, and one death has been reported from California.
  •  Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence indicates that raw turkey products from a variety of sources are contaminated with Salmonella Reading and are making people sick.
  • In interviews, ill people report eating different types and brands of turkey products purchased from many different locations. Three ill people lived in households where raw turkey pet food was fed to pets.
  • The outbreak strain has been identified in samples taken from raw turkey pet food, raw turkey products, and live turkeys.
  • A single, common supplier of raw turkey products or of live turkeys has not been identified.
  • The outbreak strain of Salmonella Reading is present in live turkeys and in many types of raw turkey products, indicating it might be widespread in the turkey industry. CDC and USDA-FSIS have shared this information with representatives from the turkey industry and asked about steps that they may be taking to reduce Salmonella contamination.
Advice to Consumers and Retailers
  • Always handle raw turkey carefully and cook it thoroughly to prevent food poisoning. This outbreak is a reminder that raw turkey products can have germs that spread around food preparation areas and can make you sick.
  • CDC is not advising that consumers avoid eating properly cooked turkey products, or that retailers stop selling raw turkey products.
CDC advises consumers to follow these steps to help prevent Salmonella infection from raw turkey:
  •  Wash your hands. Salmonella infections can spread from one person to another. Wash hands before and after preparing or eating food, after contact with animals, and after using the restroom or changing diapers.
  •  Cook raw turkey thoroughly to kill harmful germs. Turkey breasts, whole turkeys, and ground poultry, including turkey burgers, casseroles, and sausage, should always be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F to kill harmful germs. Leftovers should be reheated to 165°F. Use a food thermometer to check, and place it in the thickest part of the food.
  •  Don’t spread germs from raw turkey around food preparation areas. Washing raw poultry before cooking is not recommended. Germs in raw poultry juices can spread to other areas and foods. Thoroughly wash hands, counters, cutting boards, and utensils with warm, soapy water after they touch raw turkey. Use a separate cutting board for raw turkey and other raw meats if possible.
  •  Thaw turkey in the refrigerator, in a sink of cold water that is changed every 30 minutes, or in the microwave. Never thaw your turkey by leaving it out on the counter.
  •  CDC does not recommend feeding raw diets to pets. Germs like Salmonella in raw pet food can make your pets sick. Your family also can get sick by handling the raw food or by taking care of your pet.
CDC will update the advice to consumers and retailers if more information comes available, such as a supplier or type of raw turkey product linked to illness.

Symptoms of Salmonella Infection
  • Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 12 to 72 hours after being exposed to the bacteria.
  • The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment.
  • In some people, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other places in the body.
  • In rare cases, Salmonella infection can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics.
  • Children younger than 5 years of age, adults older than 65 years of age, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe illness.
  • For more information, see the CDCSalmonella website
Investigation Details

November 8, 2018

Since the last update on July 19, 2018, 74 ill people from 26 states have been added to this investigation.

As of November 5, 2018, 164 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Reading have been reported from 35 states. A list of the states and the number of cases in each can be found on the Map of Reported Cases page.

Illnesses started on dates from November 20, 2017, to October 20, 2018. Ill people range in age from less than one year to 91, with a median age of 45. Fifty-six percent of ill people are female. Of 135 people with information available, 63 (47%) have been hospitalized. One death has been reported from California.

Investigation of the Outbreak

State and local health departments continue to interview ill people about the foods they ate and other exposures in the week before they became ill. Of 85 people interviewed, 44 (52%) people interviewed reported preparing or eating turkey products that were purchased raw, including ground turkey, turkey pieces, and whole turkey. Ill people reported buying many different brands of raw turkey products from multiple stores. Also, 3 of the 85 ill people interviewed became sick after pets in their home ate raw ground turkey pet food. Three of the 85 ill people interviewed worked in a facility that raises or processes turkeys, or lived with someone who did.

The outbreak strain of Salmonella Reading has been identified in samples from raw turkey pet food in Minnesota, from live turkeys from several states, and from raw turkey products collected from ill people’s homes. The raw turkey samples collected from ill people’s homes are still being investigated to determine the source of the turkey.

The outbreak strain was also identified in samples from raw turkey products from 22 slaughter and 7 processing establishments. The samples collected by FSIS at these slaughter and processing establishments were part of FSIS’s routine testing under the Salmonella performance standards. Furthermore, whole genome sequencing (WGS) showed that the Salmonella strain isolated from these samples is closely related genetically to the Salmonella strain from ill people. This result provides more evidence that people in this outbreak got sick from preparing raw turkey products.

WGS analysis did not identify predicted antibiotic resistance in 116 isolates from 53 ill people and 63 food and animal samples. However, 68 isolates from ill people and 84 isolates from food, animal, and environmental samples contained genes for resistance to all or some of the following antibiotics: ampicillin, streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, kanamycin, gentamicin, nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone, and fosfomycin. Testing of five outbreak isolates using standard antibiotic susceptibility testing by CDC’s National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) laboratory confirmed these results. Most of the infections in this outbreak are susceptible to the antibiotics that are commonly used for treatment, so this resistance likely will not affect the choice of antibiotic used to treat most people.

Available data indicate that this strain of Salmonella Reading may be present in live turkeys and in raw turkey products. A single, common supplier of raw turkey products or of live turkeys has not been identified.

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