At least 26 people in Iowa have fallen ill with a “relatively uncommon” strain of Salmonella Enteritidis, according to the Iowa Deparmtnet of Public Health. The illnesses are spread across 19 Iowa counties. Investigators have not identified the source, though chicken or eggs may be likely. “Salmonella is commonly the result of improper handling or preparation of food,” said IDPH Medical Director, Dr. Patricia Quinlisk in a news release. “This particular strain is often associated with improper cooking of poultry or eggs.” Iowa is already the hardest-hit state in a multistate outbreak of Cyclospora that topped 285 cases Thursday. The IDPH advised that chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and that eggs should not be eaten raw when baking or making homemade ice cream. The Salmonella illnesses according to county are as follows: Allamakee (1), Black Hawk (1), Buena Vista (1), Cerro Gordo (4), Des Moines (1), Humboldt (1), Jasper (1), Kossuth (1), Madison (1), Mahaska (1), Marshall (1), Muscatine (1), Polk (3), Scott (1), Sioux (1), Story (1), Union (1), Webster (3), Woodbury (1).
