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Minnesotans sickened by salmonella from raw turkey

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 90 people have been infected with the outbreak strain, 13 of them in Minnesota, the most of any state.
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Ground turkey

Federal and state health officials are investigating a salmonella outbreak in 26 states linked to raw turkey, and at this point Minnesota is the most affected.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 90 people have been infected with the outbreak strain, 13 of them in Minnesota, the most of any state. No deaths have been reported, but 40 people have been hospitalized. Cases that are part of the outbreak are widely distributed throughout the country, including Alaska and Hawaii.

Illness onsets range from Nov 20, 2017, to Jun 29. Sick patients range in age from younger than 1 year to 91. Females make up 61 percent of the sick patients.

Interviews with sick patients suggest the contaminated products involved different turkey brands and products — including ground turkey, turkey pieces, and whole turkey — that were bought from many different locations. Two people sickened in the outbreak are from a household where raw turkey pet food was fed to pets.

Officials said they haven't identified a single, common supplier tied to the turkey products. However, the CDC is not advising stores to stop selling raw turkey products. Also, consumers can continue to eat properly cooked turkey products.

Consumers should wash their hands, make sure any raw turkey is cooked thoroughly, and to carefully wash areas where raw turkey is handled. They're also telling dog owners to avoid raw food diets.

The most common symptoms of salmonella — appearing 12 to 72 hours after exposure — include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. The illness usually lasts between four and seven days, said the CDC.

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