Ground beef recall: 16 Sickened by Salmonella strain

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Sixteen people in five states including, Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin have been sickened by a strain of Salmonella Typhimurium linked to ground beef, The Center for Disease control and Prevention reported.

The CDC associated the source of illness to ground beef distributed by two Michigan retailers. Both, Jouni Meats and Gab Halal Foods, issued recalls of 500 and 550 pounds of ground beef respectively at the end of last week, the USDA reported.

Seven of the confirmed illnesses occurred after people had a raw beef dish called kibbeh at a Michigan restaurant. The afflictions were reported from Dec. 9th, 2012 to Jan. 7th, 2013. Though no casualties have been announced, seven of the afflicted required hospitalization, MSNBC reported Monday.

The CDC tweeted about the dangers of the epidemic and safety measures on Monday morning.

CDC investigates outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to ground beef. Find out how to protect yourself! go.usa.gov/48VH

— CDCgov (@CDCgov) January 28, 2013

As a general rule, the CDC recommends not eating raw or under-cooked ground beef; washing hands, kitchen work surfaces and utensils after being in contact with raw meats or poultry; avoiding cross-contamination of foods by keeping beef and poultry separate from other foods; and refrigerating raw and cooked meat and poultry within two hours of purchase.