HispanicBusiness

An salmonella outbreak that has been tied to ground beef sold at two Michigan businesses has sickened 16 people in five states, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) reported this morning.

Seven people reported eating a raw ground beef dish, kibbeh, at the same restaurant before becoming ill. The restaurant acquired the raw beef from two retailers that federal, state and local health officials say are the "likely sources of this outbreak," according to the CDC.

Health officials warn against eating raw or undercooked meat and recommend cooking beef to an internal temperature of 160 degrees to kill salmonella.

Jouni Meats, Inc. and Gab Halal Foods of Troy both have recalled 500 pounds of ground beef products. These products were produced between Dec. 4 and Dec. 9 and sold directly to consumers at Jouni Meats Inc. between Dec. 4 and Dec. 10 and distributed to the restaurant or sold directly to consumers at Gab Halal, according to the CDC.

Nine of the cases were reported in Michigan; the others were in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Arizona. About half of those who were sickened were hospitalized; none of the cases were fatal. Those who became ill ranged in age from 2 to 87.

Most persons infected with salmonella bacteria develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12-72 hours after infection. In some persons, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized.

CDC urges consumers to dispose of any remaining recalled product in their home or return the product to the place of purchase. Children under the age of 5 years, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for serious illness from salmonella.