CDC warns of 'severe' salmonella outbreak in ground beef in Colorado, 5 other states

Sady Swanson | The Coloradoan

Show Caption Hide Caption How to protect yourself from food illnesses Food recall notices have been issues in 2018 for everything from eggs, to ham, to Romaine lettuce. Know the risks of food illnesses and how to protect yourself.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a multistate salmonella outbreak in ground beef found in Colorado and five other states.

Ten people have been reported ill from salmonella in ground beef in California, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado. Three of those have been in Colorado.

Of the reported cases, one person has died in California and eight others were hospitalized. This outbreak is more severe than typical salmonella outbreaks, according to the CDC.

A single supplier of ground beef has not been identified, but lab results indicate ground beef is likely the source, the CDC says.

While the CDC is not advising people to stop eating ground beef or retailers to stop selling it, it is reminding people to handle and cook ground beef carefully, including cooking it to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

The outbreak is under investigation by the CDC.

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Signs of salmonella

Diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps 12-72 hours after exposure to the bacteria

Symptoms last for 4-7 days; usually can recover without treatment

In cases where people are hospitalized, the infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream, on to other parts of the body.

Children younger than 5 years old, adults older than 65 and those with weakened immune systems are more likely to become severely ill.

Food safety for ground beef

Keep raw meat separate from other foods that won't be cooked before eating.

Wash your hands with soap after touching raw beef.

Wash counter tops, cutting boards, plates and utensils with hot, soapy water or a bleach solution after coming in contact with raw meat.

Don't eat raw or undercooked ground beef.

Cook ground beef to an internal temperature of 160 degrees, and use a food thermometer to check the temperature.

For hamburgers, insert the thermometer through the side of the patty until it reaches the center.

For food like meatloaf, check the temperature in the thickest part of the meat.

For casseroles and other sauces that contain ground beef, check the temperature in multiple places.

After cooking, refrigerate within two hours and use within 3-4 days.

When ordering at a restaurant, ask that ground beef be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees.

Refrigerate or freeze raw meat within two hours of purchase.

If you refrigerate, use within 1-2 days.

Store ground beef in a plastic bag on the lowest shelf in your fridge.

If splitting large packages and freezing sections, label the packages with the date they were placed in the freezer and where you purchased them.

Safely thaw ground beef in the refrigerator and cook or refreeze within 1-2 days.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Sady Swanson covers crime, courts, public safety and more throughout Northern Colorado. You can send your story ideas to her at sswanson@coloradoan.com or on Twitter at @sadyswan. Support our work and local journalism with a digital subscription at Coloradoan.com/subscribe.