Statement by California Department of Health Chief Deputy Director on the Salmonella Outbreak in California

Said Billingsley: “The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is actively supporting the federal government’s multi-state investigation of Salmonella cases reported and is coordinating with local health departments across California to monitor for additional cases.

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified ground turkey as a possible source of the salmonella contamination and CDPH is in regular contact with our federal partners as the investigation about the source of contamination continues.

To guard against salmonella infection, CDPH urges consumers to thoroughly cook poultry to 165 degrees, wash all surfaces immediately after contact with raw meat or poultry and to refrigerate raw and cooked meat within two hours of purchasing or cooking.”