At least 134 people in 13 states fell ill with Salmonella Heidelberg in an outbreak connected to Foster Farms chicken between June 2012 and April 2013. The outbreak appears to be over, the U.S. Centers Disease Control and Prevention announced on Thursday in its final outbreak report. Of those ill, 33 (25 percent) required hospitalization. Most illnesses occurred in Washington state (57) and Oregon (40). Testing by the Washington State Public Health Laboratories found the outbreak strain on four samples of chicken from three ill persons’ homes. Those samples originated from two Foster Farms facilities. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is now finalizing an investigation into one of the Foster Farms slaughter facilities to determine the cause of the contamination. Poultry should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F to kill any potential pathogens.
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