Clark County salmonella case linked to ground turkey

One person has died, and more than 70 people in 26 states have been sickened, by salmonella poisoning linked to ground turkey, federal officials have announced.

That includes one case in Clark County, where a person became ill in late June.

The patient recovered and did not require hospitalization, said Jennifer Sizemore, spokeswoman for the Southern Nevada Health District. "It doesn’t look like there’s a recall at this time, but it looks like they’re issuing a public health alert to educate people on how to properly cook the product," she said.

The handling and cooking instructions are the consumer’s best protections against infection, said Martha Framsted, spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services. "We know that poultry has salmonella and other bacteria," she said. "It’s vitally important that people follow the guidelines."

The only reported death linked to the salmonella was of a California man who lived in Sacramento County.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are investigating.

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service "has not linked these illnesses to a particular brand, product or establishment, and therefore has not issued a recall," spokesman Brian Mabry said Tuesday.

Raw meat and poultry should be refrigerated within two hours after purchase. The same is true of cooked meat. People should wash their hands with warm, soapy water before and after handling raw meat and poultry. Ground turkey is considered safe to eat when cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

For more information, visit the USDA’s website at www.usda.gov.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.