There's a Major Salmonella Outbreak During a Government Shutdown

There's a salmonella outbreak affecting hundreds of people in multiple states right now, all while food safety inspection crews and disease-tracking scientists sit at home, furloughed because of the government shutdown. This is one shutdown nightmare scenario that people were worried about even before the government pulled the plug on itself.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service has announced that an estimated 278 people across 18 states, mostly in California, have been reported ill because of a salmonella outbreak linked to chicken from three plants owned by the California-based Forster Farms. "The outbreak is continuing," FSIS said yesterday, surely in a calm, soothing tone. Foster Farms was quick to note there's no recall in place and that their chicken should be fine if cooked properly. The outbreak was caused by traces of Salmonella Heidelberg, "the third most common strain of the Salmonella pathogen," according to Reuters, found in the chicken. If you do undercook your bird, you're looking at potentially spending the next seven days with diarrhea, abdominal cramps and a fever, with some chills, headaches and nausea thrown in for good measure. Always take your chicken well done, kids. 

FSIS is working with the Centers for Disease Control, along with state and local officials, to track the outbreak as best they can. But the whole effort would be so much easier if the CDC wasn't also crippled by the government shutdown

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Published on October 08, 2013 06:14
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