New Salmonella Outbreak Shows Resistance to Antibiotics

Linked to chicken from California

The salmonella outbreak linked to raw chicken from California involves multiple antibiotic-resistant strains and has a very high hospitalization rate of 42%, a food safety advocate who was briefed by government officials said Tuesday.

"There are seven strains involved in this outbreak," and many of them are antibiotic resistant, said Caroline Smith DeWaal, the food safety director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington.

DeWaal was briefed by Christopher Braden, director of the division of food-borne illness at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"The outbreak has a far higher hospitalization rate, double the normal rate for salmonella," DeWaal said.