CLOSE

Most people take precautions to avoid contracting salmonella poisoning from raw chicken, but there are other foods that are surprisingly more likely to harbor the harmful bacteria. Leafy green vegetables such as lettuce, kale, and spinach are actually the biggest carriers of salmonella. According to the FDA, eggs, even clean, uncracked ones, can contain salmonella with “79,000 cases of foodborne illness and 30 deaths each year caused by eating eggs contaminated with Salmonella.” Sprouts, melons, and raw milk are other foods that commonly carry the bacteria as well.
Wochit

Salmonella from raw chicken has made 92 people sick across 29 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday.(Photo: Centers for Disease and Prevention)

 

An Indiana resident is among 92 people in 29 states who have fallen ill with an antibiotic-resistant strain of salmonella after being exposed to contaminated raw chicken products, federal health officials say.

While there have been no deaths, 21 people have been hospitalized in the outbreak, which began in January, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Federal investigators have not been able to identify one common supplier for the contaminated food. Rather they believe that because the culprit strain has been found in many live chickens, it is widespread throughout the chicken industry.

More: Are foodborne illness outbreaks increasing or does it just seem that way?

More: Massive food recall includes 1,500 pounds of salads from Indianapolis-based processor

Most of the people who fell ill reported having purchased raw chicken products and one had prepared raw chicken for pets in the home. Salmonella symptoms include diarrhea, fever and cramps within 12 to 72 hours after eating the contaminated food. It typically lasts four to seven days.

Although many people who develop salmonella recover on their own, in some cases it can lead to severe diarrhea or other infections, such as urinary tract infections. In such cases, doctors will often turn to antibiotics to tame the illness.

This particular strain appears to be resistant to first line antibiotics, leading federal health officials to advise doctors that once they have confirmed a case they should use only certain drugs and or consider consulting an infectious disease expert.

While CDC officials are not recommending that retailers stop selling raw chicken products or that people stop eating chicken, they are advising those who purchase these to handle the food carefully and to cook it thoroughly.

They recommend washing hands before and after preparing the food and thoroughly washing counters, cutting boards and any other kitchen items with warm soapy water after cooking raw chicken. Ideally a separate cutting board will be used for all raw meats, including chicken.

Health officials also advise against feeding pets raw diets, since doing so may inadvertently expose the humans in the home to illness.

Call IndyStar staff reporter Shari Rudavsky at (317) 444-6354. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter: @srudavsky.

Read or Share this story: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2018/10/23/contaminated-raw-chicken-sickens-92-29-states-salmonella/1739150002/