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Raw Turkey Sickens 6 Michigan Residents With Salmonella

Your Thanksgiving bird could be a real turkey this year if you don't take precautions. A salmonella outbreak linked to raw turkey has sickened 164 people in 35 states, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, warning people to be extra careful when they're handling raw turkey. Around Michigan, 6 people fell ill.

The drug-resistant form of salmonella is linked to the death of one person in California. Additionally, the CDC said Thursday, 63 people have been hospitalized as a result of the outbreak. Three of those who were sickened became ill after feeding their pets raw turkey, and another three either worked at a turkey processing plant or lived with someone who did.

The CDC said the outbreak hasn't been isolated to a single supplier of raw turkey products or live turkeys, and the strain may be widespread throughout the turkey industry.

Minnesota and Illinois have reported the most cases of salmonella linked to raw turkey, with 17 and 16 cases each. Public health officials in California, New York and Texas have reported 13, 12 and 11 cases, respectively, since the outbreak was first reported in mid-July.

The CDC isn't recommending that people not serve turkey this Thanksgiving, or that retailers not sell it. Rather, the agency recommends, wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw turkey and make sure it's cooked thoroughly.

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