Investigators haven't been able to trace salmonella

By Elizabeth Weise, USA TODA

For months, federal and state officials have searched for the cause of an outbreak of antibiotic-resistant salmonella responsible for one death and 76 illnesses, but they have yet to trace it back to a producer. The closest they've been able to get is that it's linked to eating ground turkey.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published an investigation of the outbreak Monday night. The microbe involved is called salmonella Heidelberg. A DNA "fingerprint" of the bacteria shows it is resistant to many commonly prescribed antibiotics. Because of this, people infected in this outbreak could be at higher risk for hospitalization, and the infection can be harder to treat.

Neil Gaffney, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service, says "despite an "extensive investigation," there is little information linking the illnesses to any specific product or establishment and so it would "not be appropriate to issue a recall notice," yet the investigation is continuing.

The illnesses apparently began after March 1, and the most recent victim was reported Monday, the CDC says. Ground turkey is frequently frozen, so a contaminated batch could stay in circulation for quite awhile.

Those stricken range in age from 1 to 88. Of 58 taken ill about whom information is available, 38% have been hospitalized, a relatively high rate for salmonella — the average is 22%. One death related to the outbreak occurred in California.

The origins of this specific antibiotic-resistant strain of salmonella aren't pinned down, but turkey has somewhat high levels of antibiotic resistance, says Gail Hansen, a veterinarian with the Pew Charitable Trusts. Antibiotics are commonly given at low levels to turkeys and other animals to help them grow faster, she says.

Symptoms from salmonellosis include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within eight to 72 hours of eating tainted food, in addition to chills, headache, nausea and vomiting. In the very young, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, salmonella can be life-threatening.

The USDA says consumers need to be aware "of the critical importance of following cooking instructions " and to always allow ground turkey to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.