Oregon Public Health authorities on Thursday warned the public about the risks of raw poultry following a spike in salmonella cases in 2012.
The agency confirmed 56 cases of illness caused by Salmonella Heidelberg, a relatively common strain. A total of 43 people were sickened by poultry produced by Foster Farms, the agency said. The company, headquartered in Kelso, Wash., is one of the largest poultry producers in the country.
Oregon officials did not say what caused the illnesses not linked to Foster Farms.
No one died in the outbreak and everyone has recovered, according to a news release.
"The 2012 salmonellosis outbreak is a wake-up call," Dr. Paul Cieslak of the health division said in the release. "While these outbreaks are unfortunate, they're also preventable if people take the proper steps when storing, handling and preparing raw poultry products."
The news release said that from 2007 to 2011, an average of 27 cases of year of Salmonella Heidelberg infections were confirmed in Oregon.
The agency warned consumers about protective measures to avoid getting sick:
- Wash hands thoroughly before and after handling meat
- Keep poultry and its juices away from ready-to-eat foods and clean cutting boards and other surfaces
- Thoroughly cook poultry
- Keep uncooked poultry in the refrigerator
The company posted a notice on its website, warning Oregon
consumers about safe handling of poultry. It said tests have showed since 2005 that the salmonella contamination of its product fall below allowable limits in the United States.