CDC Investigates Salmonella Outbreak

is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service to investigate a nationwide outbreak of salmonella infections.

Investigators believe the outbreak stems from ground turkey, but have yet to release the location of the ground turkey plant or recall any items.

The outbreak has spread throughout 26 states — including Georgia — and has affected 77 people. One person in California died from the infection, according to multiple reports.

Reports incidate the infection is antibotic resistant and the CDC cautions consumers to handle raw meats safely and fully cook all foods.

From The Huffington Post and Associated Press:

The illnesses date back to March, and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that cultures of ground turkey from four retail locations between March 7 and June 27 showed contamination with the same strain of salmonella, though those samples were not specifically linked to the illnesses. The agency said preliminary information showed that three of those samples have been linked to the same production establishment but it did not name the retailers or the manufacturers.

The silence from government officials may be attributed to USDA rules that make it harder to investigate and recall salmonella-tainted poultry. Because salmonella is common in poultry, it is not illegal for meat to be tainted with the pathogen. Officials must directly link the salmonella illnesses with a certain producer or establishment, which is difficult to do because people don't always remember what they ate or where they bought it.

 For more information on the investigation, visit the CDC website.