Final investigation of Salmonella infections linked to raw turkey

May 3, 2019

This is the final public update for this outbreak investigation because the number of newly reported illnesses has decreased. It has been about a month since people reported getting sick.

Illnesses in this outbreak occurred from November 20, 2017 to March 31, 2019. CDC will continue to monitor the PulseNet database for any new illnesses, and public health partners will continue to investigate any reported new illnesses.

A single, common supplier of raw turkey products or of live turkeys was not identified. People could continue to get sick because this Salmonella strain is present throughout the turkey industry, including raw turkey products, packaged raw pet food, and live turkeys.

Always handle raw turkey carefully and cook turkey to an internal temperature of 165˚F to prevent food poisoning. A total of 358 ill people was reported from 42 states, including 133 people who were hospitalized. One death was reported from California in a previous update.

CDC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service shared this information with representatives from the turkey industry, including the National Turkey Federation, and requested that they take steps to reduce Salmonella contamination.

CDC has more information        

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