Salmonella linked to beef produced by JBS Tolleson sickens over 300

[December 13, 2018]  (Reuters) - As many as 333 people have been infected with salmonella strain linked to beef products of JBS Tolleson Inc, the U.S. arm of Brazil's JBS SA, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention said on Wednesday.

Since Nov. 15 alone, 87 people took ill, with 32 being hospitalized, the CDC said, bringing the total number of states from which cases were reported to 28.

In all, 91 people have been hospitalized since illnesses were first reported on Aug. 5, but no deaths were reported.

JBS Tolleson Inc, an Arizona-based meat producer, has recalled about 12.1 million pounds of beef products that were sold at more than 100 retailers, including Kroger Co and WalMart Inc, which may have been contaminated with salmonella.

Salmonella can cause fever, diarrhea and abdominal pain, and can be fatal to young children, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems.

JBS Tolleson was forced to recall almost 35,500 pounds of raw ground beef in May, after a consumer found bits of blue hard plastic in the meat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

(Reporting by Aakash Jagadeesh Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by James Emmanuel)

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