An ongoing investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed more illnesses linked to Foster Farms chicken that was tainted with Salmonella Heidelberg. An additional 43 people in five states reported being sickened since the last update on March 3.
A total of 524 people were infected with seven outbreak strains of Salmonella Heidelberg as of April 7, the CDC reported. Reports came from 25 states and Puerto Rico. Among 437 persons with available information, 162, or 37 percent reported being hospitalized. Thirteen percent of ill persons have developed blood infections. CDC noted that typically, approximately 5 percent of people infected with Salmonella develop blood infections. No deaths have been reported.
The majority of illnesses were reported in California, which accounted for 76 percent of cases, according to the CDC.
