South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, In Turkey Salmonella Outbreak

It's Thanksgiving time which of course is the biggest time of the year for turkey sales and consumption. Unfortunately, there is some troubling news concerning a turkey based foodborne illness outbreak.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a Salmonella outbreak that started back in of November 2017 is still active in many states in the United States.

To date 164 people in 35 states have been infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella. 63 people have been hospitalized and 1 person in California has died. Minnesota has reported 17 cases, while Iowa has reported 3, and South Dakota has had 1 confirmed case.

This outbreak is reported to be a drug-resistant Salmonella strain, known as Salmonella Reading. Consumer Reports suggests the following procedures when handling and cooking turkey:

• Cook all turkey to an internal temperature of 165° F before eating. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature throughout the turkey and in any stuffing.
• Wash your hands frequently, both during and after handling raw turkey.
• Avoid washing raw turkey before preparing it, because this may spread the germs around your kitchen.
• Be sure to thoroughly wash all countertops, cutting boards, utensils, and any other kitchen items that come into contact with raw turkey.
• Don’t give your pets raw turkey. You can get sick if you handle raw pet food and don’t wash your hands properly — and your pets can get sick from Salmonella, too.