4 Florida Salmonella Cases Linked To Turkey

PALMETTO BAY, FL — Four cases of salmonella have been discovered in Florida that are linked to turkey products. The cases are part of a much larger outbreak that has sickened 90 people in 26 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency is warning people to wash their hands when they come in contact with raw turkey products and avoid feeding raw pet food to pets.

"Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence indicates that raw turkey products from a variety of sources are contaminated with Salmonella Reading and are making people sick," the CDC advised. Health officials said that 40 people have been hospitalized in the outbreak but no deaths have been reported.

Subscribe to Palmetto Bay Patch's free email news alerts and newsletters

"In interviews, ill people report eating different types and brands of turkey products purchased from many different locations," according to the CDC. "Two ill people lived in a household where raw turkey pet food was fed to pets."

In addition to Florida, the outbreak has sickened people in Alaska, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.

"The outbreak strain has been identified in samples taken from raw turkey pet food, raw turkey products and live turkeys," the agency explained. A single supplier of raw or live turkeys has not been identified and no recall has been issued as a result of the outbreak.

The CDC warned that the strain of salmonella related to the outbreak may be widespread in the turkey industry.

The agency released the following tips to avoid getting sick 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.
• 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.

You can read more about the outbreak from the CDC here.

Patch photo by David Allen