Sixty-three more ill people from 14 states were added to an investigation triggered by potentially tainted ground beef, bringing the total up to 120, officials said this week.
Approximately 6.5 million pounds of ground beef and other beef products, which may be contaminated with salmonella, were recalled by Arizona-based JBS Tolleson Inc. on Oct. 4. The products were produced and packaged from July 26 to Sept. 7, and sold nationwide under a range of brand names, including at Walmart and Sam’s Club.
All of the products were marked with the number “EST. 267.”
The new 63 cases bring the total reported cases to 120 across 22 states, and includes 33 people who were hospitalized but no deaths as of yet, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The agency said that anyone with the potentially tainted beef should throw it away or return it to where they bought it.
Hawaii, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Washington have experienced sicknesses believed to originate from the ground beef, adding to the previously reported 16 states. The illnesses started on dates ranging from Aug. 5 to Sept. 28.
The states affected the worst by the outbreak, with at least 18 illnesses, are Colorado, Arizona, and California.
No states on the East Coast, or the southern United States east of Oklahoma and Texas have been affected as of yet.
A Kentucky woman filed a lawsuit against JBS in early October, saying she’d gotten sick after using ground beef produced by the company to make meatloaf. She was hospitalized for five days, reported the Arizona Republic.
Dana Raab of Florence, represented by law firms in Seattle and Arizona, alleged in the lawsuit that JBS was negligent, has product liability, and breached warranty.
Salmonella
Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, a common bacterial foodborne illness, noted the CDC.
Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after consuming a contaminated product.
Most people recover without treatment; most of those hospitalized suffer from severe diarrhea.
The illness typically lasts four to seven days.
People shouldn’t consume raw or undercooked ground beef and should make sure any dishes with beef, such as meatloaf, reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit internal temperature by using a food thermometer. The meat can’t be determined if it’s safely cooked just by looking at it.
In addition, after handling raw beef people should wash their hands and any surfaces the raw meat came into contact with.
