16.09.2011

A total of 119 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg have been reported from 32 states.
On August 3, 2011, Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation, a Springdale, Arkansas, establishment, recalled approximately 36 million pounds of ground turkey products that may be contaminated with Salmonella Heidelberg.
On September 11, 2011, Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation recalled another 185,000 pounds of ground turkey products after product samples at the plant tested positive for the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg based on sample results from an intensive in-plant investigation.
This is a multi-drug resistant strain of Salmonella Heidelberg. As of September 12, 2011, investigators have collected antibiotic resistance information on isolates from twelve samples of ground turkey collected at retail and from 23 ill persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg. The isolates from the ground turkey samples are resistant to antibiotics including ampicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline, and gentamicin. The sensitivity testing results, to date, indicate that isolates from humans are also resistant to ampicillin and tetracycline, and some are resistant to streptomycin and gentamicin; however, the testing is not complete for all isolates. All human isolates are sensitive to several common antibiotics that are used in clinical practice such as ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Antimicrobial resistance may increase the risk of hospitalization or possible treatment failure in infected individuals.