An outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium linked to chicken salad has sickened another 105 people, bringing the total to 170 in seven states, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday. No deaths have been reported, but 62 people have been hospitalized.
An investigation by the CDC and the US Department of Agriculture linked the outbreak to chicken salad produced by Triple T Specialty Meats Inc., sold from January 4 to February 9 at Fareway grocery stores in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota. Sixty-five illnesses were reported in a CDC announcement February 22.
The newly reported ill individuals probably bought contaminated chicken salad before it was recalled February 21, the CDC said. All chicken salad produced between January 2 and February 7 was recalled.
Public health agencies usually receive reports on salmonella illness two to four weeks after it starts. The CDC says this is due to the time it takes for an ill person to see a doctor and for laboratory tests to be run and the results submitted to public health agencies.
The CDC recommends that people do not eat the recalled chicken salad; instead, throw it away or return it to the store. If you don’t remember the date when you purchased chicken salad from Fareway, do not eat it.
Even if some of the chicken salad was eaten or served and no one got sick, the rest should be thrown away, including any chicken salad in your freezer. Put it in a sealed bag in the trash so that children and animals can’t eat it.
Wash and sanitize countertops as well as drawers or shelves in refrigerators or freezers where recalled chicken salad might have been stored.
Most people infected with salmonella experience symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after being exposed to the bacteria. The illness lasts about four to seven days.
Most people recover without treatment, but in some cases, diarrhea can be so severe that patients needs to be hospitalized. In rare cases, salmonella can be deadly unless a patient receives prompt treatment with antibiotics.
