Sunday, November 3, 2019

CDC Investigates a Salmonella Outbreak Associated with Ground Beef

CDC is investigating a Salmonella outbreak associated with ground beef.
  • There are 10 cases with 8 hospitalizations and 1 death.  
  • Cases occurred in 6 states, all west of the Mississippi.
  • Onset of illness is August 8, 2019, to September 22, 2019. 
  • Ill people range in age from 48 to 74 years, with a median age of 68. 
  • Eighty percent of ill people are male. 
  • Of nine ill people with information available, eight (89%) were hospitalized, which is much higher than we would expect for Salmonella infections
  • No information was presented as to the source.
Could we say that most cases are older men who probably felt it was okay to eat hamburger on the rarer side...because they always ate it that way?  Or they don't feel they need to use a thermometer.

With the last case starting over a month ago, it may be difficult to find the source at this point, or at least isolate the organism in product. While there may not be more cases if this was a one time contamination event, more cases may pop up if people had frozen the raw ground meat or the undercooked meat.

CDC Investigation Notice
https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/dublin-11-19/index.html
Outbreak of Salmonella Infections Linked to Ground Beef
Published on November 1, 2019 at 4:00 PM ET

At A Glance
Reported Cases: 10
States: 6
Hospitalizations: 8
Deaths: 1

CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Dublin infections linked to ground beef.

A single, common supplier of ground beef has not been identified. This investigation is ongoing and CDC will update the public as more information becomes available.
Latest Outbreak Information
  • 10 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Dublin have been reported from six states.
  • Illnesses in this outbreak are more severe than expected for Salmonella. A total of 8 ill people were hospitalized, including one death reported from California.
  • Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence indicate that ground beef is a likely source of this outbreak. A single, common supplier of ground beef has not been identified.
  • In interviews, ill people report eating different types and brands of ground beef purchased from many different locations.
  • Laboratory testing identified the outbreak strain of Salmonella Dublin in repackaged leftover ground beef collected from an ill person’s home in California.
  • This outbreak investigation is ongoing and CDC will update the public if more information becomes available.
Investigation Details

November 1, 2019
CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Dublin infections linked to ground beef.
Public health investigators are using the PulseNet system to identify illnesses that may be part of this outbreak. PulseNet is the national subtyping network of public health and food regulatory agency laboratories coordinated by CDC. DNA fingerprinting is performed on Salmonella bacteria isolated from ill people by using a standardized laboratory and data analysis method called whole genome sequencing (WGS). CDC PulseNet manages a national database of these sequences that are used to identify possible outbreaks. WGS gives investigators detailed information about the bacteria causing illness. In this investigation, WGS showed that bacteria isolated from ill people were closely related genetically. This means that people in this outbreak are more likely to share a common source of infection.

As of November 1, 2019, a total of 10 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Dublin have been reported from 6 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 ranging from August 8, 2019, to September 22, 2019. Ill people range in age from 48 to 74 years, with a median age of 68. Eighty percent of ill people are male. Of nine ill people with information available, eight (89%) were hospitalized, which is much higher than we would expect for Salmonella infections. The hospitalization rate is usually about 20%. One death has been reported in California. In five (50%) ill people, Salmonella was found in samples of blood, which indicates their illnesses may have been more severe. Typically, Salmonella Dublin illnesses are more severe because they can cause bloodstream infections, which are serious and require hospitalization.
Illnesses might not yet be reported due to the time it takes between when someone becomes ill and when the illness is reported. This takes an average of 2 to 4 weeks. Please see the Timeline for Reporting Cases of Salmonella Infection for more details.

Whole genome sequencing analysis did not identify any antibiotic resistance in 16 bacterial isolates from 10 ill people and 6 food specimens. Testing of clinical isolates using standard antibiotic susceptibility testing methods by CDC’s National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) is underway.

Investigation of the Outbreak

Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence indicates that ground beef might be contaminated with Salmonella Dublin and is making people sick. At this time, the investigation has not identified a single, common supplier of ground beef.

In interviews, ill people answered questions about the foods they ate and other exposures in the week before they became ill. Of eight people interviewed, six (75%) reported eating ground beef at home. This percentage is significantly higher than results from a survey pdf icon[PDF – 787 KB] of healthy people in which 40% of respondents reported eating any ground beef at home in the week before they were interviewed. Ill people reported buying ground beef from various stores.

Laboratory testing identified the outbreak strain of Salmonella Dublin in repackaged leftover ground beef collected from an ill person’s home in California. The outbreak strain of Salmonella Dublin has also been identified in six samples of raw beef products from slaughter and processing establishments. Samples from slaughter and processing establishments were collected as part of FSIS’s routine testing under the Salmonella performance standards. WGS showed that the Salmonella strain from these samples was closely related genetically to the Salmonella from ill people. These results provide more evidence that people in this outbreak got sick from eating ground beef. At this time, the investigation has not identified a single, common supplier of ground beef.

This outbreak investigation is ongoing and CDC will update the public if more information becomes available.

State Ill People
California 2
Colorado 3
Iowa 1
Kansas 2
Oklahoma 1
Texas 1
Total 10

What You Need to Know
CDC is not advising that consumers stop eating thoroughly cooked ground beef, or that retailers stop selling ground beef.

Always handle ground beef carefully and cook it thoroughly to prevent food poisoning. This outbreak is a reminder that raw and undercooked ground beef can have germs in it that can make you sick and can contaminate areas where food is prepared.

Don’t eat raw or undercooked ground beef.
Cook ground beef to an internal temperature of 160°F. Use a food thermometerexternal icon to make sure the meat has reached this safe internal temperature. You can’t tell whether meat is safely cooked by looking at it.
For hamburgers, insert thermometer through the side of the patty until it reaches the middle.
Place the thermometer in the thickest part of the meat for other items.
Ask that ground beef hamburgers and mixtures be cooked to 160°F internal temperature when ordering at a restaurant.
Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after touching raw meat. Wash items that came into contact with raw ground beef, such as countertops, utensils, dishes, and cutting boards, with hot, soapy water or in a dishwasher.

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