The CDC reported Tuesday that since June 4, 2012, a total of 128 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg have been reported from 13 states. At least 31 percent of ill persons have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported. Most of the ill persons have been reported from two states, Oregon (39) and Washington (56). State public health officials are interviewing ill persons to obtain information regarding foods they might have eaten and other exposures in the week before illness. Information available to date indicates that consumption of chicken is the most likely source of infection for many of the ill persons. Oregon and Washington have identified Foster Farms brand chicken as the most likely source of the infections in their states. Testing conducted by the Washington State Public Health Laboratories identified the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg in four intact samples of chicken collected from three ill persons’ homes in Washington. The number ill by state is as follows: Alabama (1), Alaska (11), California (9), Hawaii (1), Idaho (2), Massachusetts (1), Montana (2), New York (1), Oregon (39), Utah (3), Virginia (1), Washington (56) and West Virginia (1).
