Need to Know: Tips to Avoid Current and Future Salmonella Scares

Michigan was among 14 states where potentially-tainted ground turkey was sold recently, and several local stores are cooperating with a nationwide recall. More than two-dozen cases of salmonella-related illnesses have been reported.

The bacteria strain has symptoms including diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It usually clears up on its own after four to seven days, but more severe cases can lead to death unless treated with antibiotics. The elderly, infants and those with weakened immune systems are more likely at risk, the CDC says.

If you are still concerned about salmonella infection, the The United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service offers the following recommendations for preventing salmonellosis:

• Wash hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat and poultry. Also wash cutting boards, dishes and utensils with hot soapy water. Clean up spills right away.
• Keep raw meat, fish and poultry away from other food that will not be cooked. Use separate cutting boards for raw meat, poultry and egg products and cooked foods.
• Cook raw meat and poultry to safe internal temperatures before eating. The safe internal temperature for ground meat such as beef and pork is 160° Fahrenheit and 165° Fahrenheit for poultry, as determined with a food thermometer.
• Refrigerate raw meat and poultry within two hours after purchase (one hour if temperatures exceed 90° Fahrenheit). Refrigerate cooked meat and poultry within two hours after cooking.