Salmonella Outbreak 2015 Update: 134 Cases Recorded, Mostly Linked to Pork

The number of Salmonella cases has been rapidly increasing all over the country, with the latest afflicted state being Washington. According to reports, the number of cases has risen to 134 and health officials are connecting the outbreak to a slaughterhouse in Graham, Washington.

Outbreak News Today writes that health officials have tested samples from Kapowsin Meats last week and have noted the presence of the bacteria. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also been tapped to assist in the investigation of other possible sources like restaurants, market places, and other food production facilities.

Official reports have broken down the number of cases per county and out of all the cases, 84 have been seen in King, 24 cases from Shohomish, and 12 cases have been recorded in Pierce. The jump from 90 cases in merely two weeks has caused alarm to health officials because it meant that the source has not yet been contained. Most of these cases have started from consumption of whole roasted pigs served in restaurants and parties.

Seattle Times says representatives of Kapowsin Meats have yet to respond for comments but the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety (FSIS) and Inspection Service has already confirmed that the said facility is already cooperating with investigators.

The FSIS has released a public health alert to inform residents of the dangers of Salmonella and how a possible outbreak is linked to contaminated pork. An infected person may show signs like nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. Although affected people may quickly recover, long-term infection may result to other serious complications and sometimes death.

Salmonella can be prevented through proper hygiene practice like thoroughly washing hands, kitchen utensils and surfaces before food preparation or cooking.

Furthermore, the Washington Department of Health has released a guide on how to properly cook whole pigs as this is seen to be the primary source of the infection, Food Poisoning Bulletin adds.

According to the guidelines, the use of a meat thermometer can safely determine if the whole pig is already cooked or still raw. Internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit must be reached in the thickest part of the meat before it can be declared properly roasted.

Another problem health officials see is the effects of cross-contamination during food preparation. Restaurants and caterers are advised to avoid allowing contract between raw meat and juices or mixing plates and utensils that can contaminate the cooked food.