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Food safety investigators seek to determine the source of drug-resistant salmonella present in raw turkey meat, while the epidemic spreads nationally, just before the largest consumption day turkey of the year.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publish their first update since July on the epidemic that began last November. The number of reported diseases almost doubled to 164. There was one reported death in California from handling or eating contaminated turkey.
Authorities say consumers can still eat turkey this Thanksgiving, but the CDC and the Food Inspection and Food Safety Department of the US Department of Agriculture emphasize the importance of proper cooking and handling techniques.
Cases surfaced at a constant speed over a large area. Diseases have been linked to various turkey brands, corporations, processing facilities and retailers in 35 states.
It has been attributed to raw food for pets and other turkey products. Some turkey factory workers got sick from contact with live birds.
The CDC and FSIS know at least 22 slaughterhouses and seven processing plants where contaminated products have been shipped, but the agencies have not provided details. FSIS did not explain why it did not disclose this information unless the investigation is ongoing and the original source is not yet known.
Minnesota is the most productive state of turkey in the country and raises about 45 million birds a year. Hormel Jennie-O Turkey Store and Cargill, two of the largest turkey producing companies in the country, are based in Minnesota. The two companies refused to comment, referring the questions to the Turkish national federation.
"For consumers, the bottom line is that all turkey is safe when cooked and handled properly, and that turkey producers and processors are constantly striving to make them even better. sure, "said the federation in a statement.
Ryan Osterholm, a Minneapolis lawyer representing a five-year-old girl from Minnesota and several other critically ill people as a result of the outbreak, said it was one of the worst salmonella lines he saw. It is resistant to the multiple antibiotics used to treat infections in humans and does not have a single source, making it a systemic problem, probably due to a large hatchery that sells chicks to producers and operators.
"I'm trying not to be alarmist … but, in my opinion, it's a major risk to public health that the industry or the USDA does not fully support." "said Osterholm.
The child that he represents has developed a serious and painful bone infection. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, she and at least one other Minnesota child suffer from living in homes that fed raw pet food containing ground turkey.
"(My clients) were doing exactly what everyone else does with their turkey. They were not doing anything crazy, "said Osterholm. "But when it's so virulent, a little bit can make you sick, even with the best methods of preparation."
Consumer Reports and the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington-based consumer and surveillance group, urge the USDA to publish the names of suppliers identified as being associated with contaminated food during the epidemic.
"When an epidemic is generalized and it burns slowly, and the agency has still not identified the source, it is in a difficult position because it does not have this advice very specific to give consumers in terms of issuing a reminder, "said Laura MacCleery, policy director of CSPI. "But when you go on a big vacation and you know that consumers are likely to consume the foods in question, we think the agency has an obligation to provide consumers with all the information they have."
Symptoms include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps and usually develop 12 to 72 hours after exposure. The illness can last up to a week and most people recover without medical treatment, says the CDC. More serious illness can develop in children under 5, adults over 65, and people with weakened immune systems. There are an estimated 1.2 million cases of salmonellosis each year in the United States.
Tribune News Service
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