Law Firm PritzkerOlsen Announces Investigation of Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Ground Turkey

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PritzkerOlsen, P.A., a national food safety law firm, is investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg linked to the consumption of ground turkey. So far, 77 people from 26 states have been found to be sick with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg. At least 22 people have been hospitalized, and one person has died.

“Despite the breadth and scope of this outbreak, the United States Department of Agriculture, has not identified its source. Consumers will continue to get sick because the producers and retailers of this product have not been identified. Until the source has been identified, consumers should not consume any ground turkey.”

“This outbreak is noteworthy for a number of reasons,” said food poisoning attorney Fred Pritzker. “Despite the breadth and scope of this outbreak, the United States Department of Agriculture, has not identified its source. Consumers will continue to get sick because the producers and retailers of this product have not been identified. Until the source has been identified, consumers should not consume any ground turkey.”

The illnesses in this outbreak occurred between March 1 and August 1, 2011. Illnesses that occurred after July 5, 2011, may not be reported yet, since it takes several weeks for a case to be identified as part of the outbreak, due to the various tests required. The distribution of illnesses in each state is as follows: AL (1), AZ (2), CA (6), GA (1), IA (1), IL (7), IN (1), KY (2), LA (1), MA (1), MI (10), MN (1), MO (2), MS (1), NC (1), NE (2), NV (1), OH (10), OK (1), OH (10), OK (1), OR (1), PA (5), SD (3), TN (2), TX (9), and WI (3).

The raw ground turkey was purchased from retail stores and prepared by consumers. “Food companies are not let off of the hook for food poisoning illnesses in cases where cooking did not kill the Salmonella bacteria,” said Pritzker. “Contaminated ground turkey should never be sold. Eating a ground turkey burger should not send someone to the hospital.”

Salmonella can cause devastating illness, including Reiter’s syndrome, a reactive arthritis. People who think they may be sick with salmonellosis should see their doctor and get tested to be sure that Salmonella is, indeed, the pathogen making them sick. Patients whose case is a confirmed part of an outbreak, such as the current ground turkey outbreak, may be able to file a Salmonella lawsuit to recover money for medical expenses, pain and suffering, wage loss and other damages.

Pritzker Olsen law firm, of Minneapolis, MN, represents individuals and families nationwide in cases involving foodborne illness like Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, and others. The firm is involved in virtually every major foodborne illness outbreak and has obtained some of the largest verdicts and settlements in foodborne illness cases. Attorney Fred Pritzker and his team of Salmonella attorneys can be reached regarding a turkey salmonella lawsuit at 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE). For more information, see the firm’s food poisoning blog.