Michigan Turkey Salmonella Toll at 10
Michigan's top food poisoning investigator says there may be more than 10 Michigan residents infected by the turkey Salmonella outbreak that federal health officials say has caused one Salmonella death in California and sickened at least 77 others in 26 states.
Officially, 10 Michigan cases have been counted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- the most in any one state. Ohio also has 10, Texas has nine and Illinois has seven. Susan Bohm, state epidemiologist in Michigan, told the Detroit Free Press that more cases are expected in Michigan and probably elsewhere -- in part because ground turkey can be frozen and consumed later.
The CDC, USDA, state and local health investigators are scrambling to identify what brand of ground turkey or what turkey plant produced the contaminated meat. When they succeed, a recall will be issued and consumers will know which stocks to avoid. For now, the CDC is warning consumers to handle ground turkey with extra care to prevent cross contamination of kitchen surfaces or utensils. Also, the only sure way to kill the organisms -- if present in the meat -- is to cook it to at least 165 degrees, verified using a thermometer. Extra care is urged when preparing foods for infants, older adults, and persons with impaired immune systems. Those are the individuals most at risk for serious illness and death.
At least 10 of the Michigan case patients live in Wayne County, which includes Detroit, according to the Free Press. The four other Michigan counties with known Salmonella victims include:
- Genesee County (1)
- Bay County (1)
- Berrien County (1)
- Eaton County (1)
According to the Michigan Department of Community Health, the case patients became infected between May 7 through July 2.
Nationally, the outbreak cases began to appear March 9. Ill persons range in age from less than 1 year to 88 years old, with a median age of 23 years old. Forty-eight percent are female. Among the 58 ill persons with available information, 38 percent have been hospitalized.
The outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg is resistant to some antibiotics, which can increase the risk of hospitalization, treatment failure (wrongful death) and future medical issues. Families and individuals who believe they have been sickened by contaminated ground turkey should immediately see a physician. Salmonella should not be taken lightly and is proven to have long-lasting medical complications in some people, including reactive arthritis or Reiter's Syndrome.
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