CDC: Tainted chicken killed 1

Multistate Salmonella outbreak also sickened 17

One person has died and 17 others were sickened by a multistate outbreak linked to Salmonella-tainted chicken, federal health officials said Wednesday. The illnesses occurred between Sept. 25, 2017 and June 4.

The death occurred in New York state, with the others sickened in a large swath stretching down the Mid-Atlantic to Virginia. The person who died was among eight hospitalized for the illness, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Some victims told investigators they ate Empire Kosher brand chicken. The particular strain was traced back to raw chicken samples at two facilities, including one that processes Empire products, the CDC said. Empire Kosher did not return a request for comment.

Authorities are not currently warning people to stay away from any particular chicken, CDC spokesperson Brittany Behm said. But health officials also are not sure if they have accounted for everyone who was sickened in that period.

“It may be too early to tell,” Behn told The Washington Post.

It is unclear when the person died from the illness. The CDC referred further questions to the New York State Department of Health, which first uncovered the outbreak and alerted federal health officials. They did not return immediate comment.

The Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is investigating the contamination. On Friday, the agency issued an alert out of an “abundance of caution” warning consumers about the illnesses.

Salmonellosis can cause diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within 12 to 72 hours after consuming contaminated products, the agency said.

In July, at least 90 people reported illnesses linked to a Salmonella outbreak.