Eight Different Farms Implicated in Ireland Chicken Salmonella Outbreak
Farming Independent has reported a salmonella outbreak in Ireland that spread across eight different poultry farms. The Department of Agriculture made it a priority to deal with the outbreak as quickly and efficiently as possible. Therefore, extra measures were taken to prevent further infection. Poultry Med has stated this resulted in 7,000 chickens being isolated and put down. All infected poultry were removed and handled in a humane manner. The Department of Agriculture continues to search for the source of the outbreak but claims it was due to their proactive policies that the outbreak was discovered in the first place.
In the last week, salmonella typhimurium was detected in Western Brand chicken, which is based in Ballyhaunic, Co Mayo. The Department of Agriculture and the Food Safety Authority stated that “These products were sold as fresh and are past their use-by date.” However, they were labeled as safe if frozen by a certain date. Western Brand recalled the expired chicken following the salmonella detection.
At this time, no human cases of salmonella have been reported, and it is believed the threat to human health has been mitigated. However, farmers have been encouraged to remain watchful. Consumers are encouraged to always use appropriate precautions when handling poultry. The CDC recommends appropriate cleaning of poultry as a measure of prevention against salmonella. Wash hands, utensils, and other dishes thoroughly after handling raw chicken, and sanitize surfaces in the kitchen after preparing food. Keep raw poultry separate from other foods, and do not place cooked meat or any other food on a surface that was previously used to prepare uncooked meat.
According to cdc.gov, chicken is a common source of salmonella poisoning. Someone infected with Salmonella may start experiencing symptoms up to 6 days after being infected. Symptoms include: diarrhea, bloody stool, fever, stomach cramps, vomiting, and dehydration.
If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of a Salmonella infection, contact your doctor immediately. Often, symptoms will persist for about a week but can remain for longer periods of time and can even be life-threatening.
As one prominent food poisoning attorney stated, when asked: “Chicken is all too often a source of salmonella illness. We have been involved in thousands of chicken salmonella lawsuits simply because people fail to follow proper food safety guidelines.”
