food safety

What to Know About the Salmonella Outbreak Affecting Turkey

The CDC isn’t advising against eating turkey. Photo: Davies and Starr/Getty Images

Just in time for Thanksgiving, the Centers for Disease Control and public health officials have linked a multistate outbreak of salmonella to raw turkey products. The outbreak was first reported in July.

• Since then, 164 people in 35 states have reported being infected by the drug-resistant strain.

• More than a third of those infections have happened in California, where 63 people have been hospitalized. A single death has been reported in California.

• While officials have pinned the outbreak on turkey, they have not yet identified a supplier as a source of the salmonella.

• The strain is present in both live turkeys and raw turkey products, which could mean that it’s widespread in the industry.

• The Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is monitoring the outbreak, and the CDC has reached out to industry representatives.

• However, the CDC has not advised against eating turkey or selling raw turkey. Only that the meat be handled carefully and cooked thoroughly.

What to Know About the Salmonella Outbreak Affecting Turkey