Salmonella epidemic linked to raw chicken products causes disease in 92 people in 29 states: CDC



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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a Salmonella outbreak linked to raw chicken products resistant to certain antibiotics has infected 92 people in 29 states.

The CDC announced Wednesday that 21 people had been hospitalized but no deaths had been reported yet.

An outbreak investigation revealed that raw chicken products from "various sources" had been contaminated with salmonella, according to the CDC.

The CDC identified the particular strain as salmonella infantis but stated that it had not yet bound raw chicken products or live chickens to a single supplier.

PHOTO: Raw whole chicken photographed in Washington.Deb Lindsey for the Washington Post via Getty Images
Raw whole chicken photographed in Washington.

Salmonella infantis was found in live chickens and in many types of raw chicken products, the CDC said.

People who became ill reported consuming different brands of chicken products purchased in many places. The CDC has therefore stated that the "epidemic" could be generalized in the chicken industry "in a statement.

The agency said the strain of the outbreak had been identified in samples "taken from raw pet food, chicken products and live chickens".

New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania had the most reported cases of salmonella, according to a chart released by the CDC.

The agency said that antibiotic resistance tests on Salmonella bacteria isolated from sick people showed that the strain of the outbreak was resistant to several antibiotics.

The CDC said it was working with the US Department of Agriculture and representatives of the chicken industry to discuss measures to reduce Salmonella contamination.

In recent months, several salmonella outbreaks related to turkey, beef and eggs have been reported in the United States.

Earlier this month, at least 57 people in at least 16 states reported salmonella infections after consuming more than 6.5 million pounds of contaminated beef produced by an Arizona company.

In September, the CDC said that a multi-state outbreak related to eggs from an Alabama farm was even larger than expected, with 135 people infected in 36 states.

In July, an outbreak of salmonella that infected 90 people in 26 states was linked to raw turkey products.

According to the CDC, four quick steps can help protect people from food poisoning at home when it comes to preparing food: "clean, separate, cook and relax."

Tambetta Ojong of ABC News helped cover this story.

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