Turkey
The CDC has issued an update to consumers about a salmonella outbreak in raw turkey products. Broad Breasted White turkeys stand in their enclosure at Tara Firma Farms on November 21, 2017 in Petaluma, California. An estimated forty six million turkeys are cooked and eaten during Thanksgiving meals in the United States. Getty Images/Justin Sullivan

With Thanksgiving only days away, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an update to consumers about turkey. The CDC, along with public health and regulatory authorities, are investigating an outbreak of salmonella linked to raw turkey products.

Since the CDC’s last update on the issue from July 19, another 74 people from 26 states have fallen ill from salmonella-infected turkey for a total of 164 people in 35 states. There has been one death linked to the affected turkey in California and 63 people have been hospitalized, according to the CDC.

The raw turkey products come from a variety of sources and are contaminated with salmonella reading that is a drug-resistant bacterium. The CDC reports that people that have fallen ill from the affected turkey have eaten a variety of types and brands that were purchased at several different locations – which is making it difficult to pinpoint where the source of the issue is coming from.

People are also getting sick from the turkey through handling, as the CDC said that three people were infected with salmonella from feeding raw turkey to their pets. The government public health agency has identified salmonella in raw turkey pet food, raw turkey products, and live turkeys. It has not been able to determine one common supplier of the raw turkey to date.

The CDC has reported that the salmonella reading strain may be widespread throughout the turkey industry. It is doing its part to notify turkey suppliers and ask what steps they are taking to reduce the contamination, especially as Thanksgiving nears.

Symptoms of salmonella include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps which can last four to seven days. According to the CDC, most people recover without treatment while others may need to be hospitalized. The salmonella infection can also spread to the bloodstream and other systems within the body. Children under five, adults over 65, and people with weakened immune systems are most susceptible to infection from the bacteria.

The CDC is urging consumers to handle turkey carefully this holiday season and to cook it thoroughly to avoid food poisoning. No warning has been issued to stop eating properly cooked turkey or the halt of raw turkey sales.

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