A drug-resistant form of salmonella has been linked to raw chicken products that caused infections in 92 people in 29 states. The most cases have been reported in Illinois, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, according to the CDC who is investigating the outbreak.
The investigation has so far found that the contaminated chicken products have come from different brands and various locations, and is not linked to any specific company. There have been 21 reported hospitalizations, and zero deaths from the chicken, and the salmonella strain has been resistant to multiple antibiotics.
In recent months, salmonella outbreaks have been reported connected to eggs, Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal, and most recently led to the recall of 6.5 million pounds of ground beef.
“There have been more multi-state foodborne outbreaks announced than we typically see by this time of year,” Laura Gieraltowski, who is a team lead with the CDC’s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, told SELF in June.
According to the CDC, people with salmonella will develop symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 12 to 72 hours after exposure to the illness, which usually lasts four to seven days. In some cases of severe diarrhea, patients may need to be hospitalized.
The CDC has said it is working with the chicken industry to learn about what steps it is taking to reduce the risk for salmonella contamination.
