The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is working with local health departments, the CDC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS), to investigate an outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to ground beef.
A source of the ground beef has not yet been identified, but public health officials urge Illinois residents to follow safe food handling steps when preparing and eating ground beef. Ground beef should always be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F before eating and the temperature should be checked with a food thermometer.
Illinois public health officials have identified 26 confirmed cases in Illinois. Cases are reported in Chicago as well as Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties. The illness onset dates of the cases ranged from April 25 to May 18. A small number of cases in other states are also under investigation by the CDC and state health departments.
IDPH is working with local health departments, the CDC and the USDA-FSIS to identify additional cases, to perform lab testing and to identify the source of the contaminated ground beef.
Some of the ill people reported eating undercooked ground beef. This outbreak, as well as the annual observance of World Food Safety Day today, highlight the importance of food safety. World Food Safety Day is an annual, worldwide event promoted in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration dedicated to reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses.