1 Local Case Linked to Salmonella Outbreak

There is one Connecticut case of Salmonella sickness connected to the public health alert the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued on Monday.

It is linked to raw chicken packaged at three Foster Farms facilities in California, according to federal authorities.

An estimated 278 have become ill in the past six months, including one person in Connecticut.

The Connecticut victim became ill in July and has since recovered without hospitalization, according to William Gerrish of the state Department of Public Health.

Strains of Salmonella Heidelberg are associated with chicken distributed to retail outlets in California, Oregon and Washington state, the USDA said in a statement.

The Salmonella outbreak has spread to 18 states, though most of the reported illnesses have been in California.

Raw chicken from Foster Farms is not believed to be sold in Connecticut, according to Frank Greene of the state Department of Consumer Protection.

Even so, the outbreak serves as a reminder to consumers everywhere to properly handle and cook food.

"Cook your chicken well.  Cook your poultry well.  Wash your surfaces before and after.  Don't cross contaminate from your raw to your cooked items," said Greene.

"We really need to get the message out that you can't assume that your chicken is not contaminated.  You need to really assume that it could be," said Diane Hirsch, who is a food safety educator with UConn Extension.

A spokesman for Foster Farms says no recall is in effect and that the infections were caused by eating under cooked or improperly handled chicken.

The USDA has not directly linked the outbreak of illnesses to a specific product or production period. The USDA mark on suspect packages would read: P6137, P6137A and P7632.

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