Michigan Based Ground Beef Linked to Salmonella Outbreak

If you've eaten ground beef in Michigan in the past few weeks, you might want to make sure your stomach isn't bothering you. Salmonella contamination was reported in the state, with 9 cases of sick individuals in Michigan and 7 others in Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and Arizona. About half of the sickened individuals were hospitalized and ranged in age from 2 to 87.

The contaminated beef is linked to two Michigan-based manufacturers: Jouni Meats of Sterling Heights and Gab Halal Foods of Troy. Both have recalled 500 pounds of beef each that were sold between December 4 and 10. Some of the individuals who consumed the meat apparently ate at restaurants that served kibbeh, a Middle Eastern raw meat dish made with either lamb or beef. The Centers for Disease Control warns that consumers should never eat raw or undercooked beef. Some individuals have retained lawyers, arguing that they were unaware that they were being served raw beef, and instead thought that they were being served lamb.

Salmonella contamination is characterized by fever and abdominal cramps. Sometimes diarrhea can be so severe that a sickened individual will require hospitalization. Consumers are urged to throw away any ground beef in their homes that is linked to the recalled products or take the products back to the place of purchase.