Public Health Alert – 7 Cases of Salmonella in Illinois Linked to Nationwide Outbreak

                      The Illinois Department of Public

                      (IDPH), along with local health departments in

                      Illinois, is collaborating with the Centers for

                      Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S.

                      Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and

                      Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) to investigate a

                      multistate outbreak of Salmonella ser. Heidelberg

                      infections likely caused by eating ground turkey.

                      A total of 77 people infected with the outbreak

                      strain have been reported from 26 states between

                      March 1 and August 1, 2011.  Of the seven cases in

                      Illinois with the same type of Salmonella as the

                      outbreak, at least one person has been hospitalized.

                      Reports of illness started on March 21, 2011 with the

                      last case becoming ill on July 29, 2011.  Cases range

                      in age from 3 to 60 years and were reported in Cass,

                      Cook, DuPage Madison, Peoria, Will and Williamson

                      counties.

                      Recommendations

                      IDPH is reminding people to follow all food safety

                      recommendations to avoid potential illness.  Ground

                      turkey must be cooked to a minimum internal

                      temperature of 165? Fahrenheit to kill Salmonella

                      bacteria.  Use a food thermometer to check the

                      temperature as color is not always an indicator of

                      doneness, nor is following cooking instructions on

                      the food package.  It’s also important to make sure

                      raw poultry and its juices do not come into contact

                      with produce, cooked foods or food that is ready to

                      eat.  After handling raw poultry, make sure to

                      properly wash with soap and water hands, cutting

                      board, plates, knifes and anything used to prepare

                      the raw poultry.

                      Signs and Symptoms

                      Most people infected with Salmonella bacteria develop

                      diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours

                      after infection.  The illness usually lasts 4 to 7

                      days, and most people recover without treatment.

                      However, for some people, diarrhea may be so severe

                      that the patient needs to be hospitalized.

                      Salmonella infection may spread and can cause death

                      unless the person is treated promptly with

                      antibiotics.  Older adults, infants, and those with

                      impaired immune systems are more likely to have a

                      severe illness from Salmonella infection.

                      CDC is partnering with state health departments to

                      monitor the outbreak while FSIS focuses its

                      investigation on potential identification of a

                      contamination source(s).  Any potential contamination

                      source(s) information will come from the USDA.

                      The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline

                      1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in

                      English and Spanish and can be reached from 9 a.m. to

                      3 p.m. (Central Time) Monday through Friday.

                      Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours

                      a day.

                      For more information on Salmonella, log onto

                      http://www.idph.state.il.us/public/hb/hbsam.htm.