Salmonella Outbreak Affects Alabama: CDC

ALABAMA — At least one Alabama resident has been infected in an ongoing Salmonella Oranienburg outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Investigators have not yet identified one specific food linked to illness.

A total of 279 people across the U.S. in at least 29 states have been infected, and 26 have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. The CDC said the outbreak may not be limited to the states that have reported cases, because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella.

People infected with Salmonella often experience diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps sometime between 6 hours to 6 days after swallowing the bacteria.

Children younger than 5 years and adults 65 years and older may experience more severe illnesses that require hospitalization.

The CDC provided the following food safety tips to prevent getting sick from Salmonella:

Clean: Wash your hands, utensils, and surfaces often. Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water before eating, cutting, or peeling them.Separate: Keep food that won't be cooked separate from raw meat, poultry, and seafood.Cook: Use a food thermometer to make sure you have cooked your food to a temperature high enough to kill germsexternal icon.Chill: Refrigerate perishable foods within 2 hours (within 1 hour if the food has been exposed to temperatures above 90°F, like at a picnic). Thaw food in the refrigerator, not on the counter.

The CDC has mapped all of the states known to be affected by the recent outbreak.