Salmonella Outbreak Triggers Warning from Health Officials

In light of a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 278 people across the country, including 18 locally, Los Angeles County health officials today reminded residents to fully cook poultry before serving it.

"Salmonella is common in poultry and undercooking always increases infection risk," county public health officer Dr. Jonathan Fielding said. "We need to be careful to always cook poultry to the proper internal temperature of at least 165 degrees. A meat and poultry thermometer is a cheap investment in peace of mind when you are cooking."

According to the county Department of Public Health, 18 people in the county have been sickened during the salmonella outbreak that federal officials have blamed on a trio of Foster Farms poultry plants in California. Nine of the local patients required hospitalization, but there have been no deaths.

The potentially affected packages of raw Foster Farms chicken are marked with the batch numbers P6137, P6137A or P7632, according to the the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Symptoms of salmonella include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection, along with chills, headache, nausea and vomiting.

- City News Service