The Art of Cuisine

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The outbreak has spread to 26 states and affected at least 77 people The cases were reported between March 1 and August 1 Health officials have identified ground turkey as the likely culprit Symptoms are diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps.

Todays August 3, news flash said it has now reached Oregon and has killed on person in California. 

No production source has been identified for the outbreak, and no recall has been put into effect, but the CDC is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and state officials to determine the source of the bacterium strain known as Salmonella Heidelberg.

The CDC says cultures of ground turkey samples purchased from four retail locations, which it did not identify, have yielded the strain of salmonella, which is resistant to many antibiotics.

Because of that, the risk of hospitalization caused by the tainted turkey is greater than for other salmonella outbreaks, CDC says.

At least 22 people have required hospitalization; 48% of those sickened have been female, and the bacterium has infected people from younger than a year old to age 88.

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