Salmonella outbreak linked to ground beef sickens 16

SCARBOROUGH, Maine — Sixteen people in seven states have now been infected with an antibiotic-resistant strain of Salmonella Typhimurium linked to ground beef sold at Scarborough, Maine-based Hannaford Supermarkets, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Preliminary testing shows that the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium is resistant to several commonly prescribed antibiotics. This antibiotic resistance may be associated with an increase in the risk of hospitalization or possible treatment failure in infected individuals.

No deaths have been reported.

On Dec. 15, the grocery chain recalled an undetermined amount of fresh ground beef products that bear sell-by dates of Dec. 17, 2011 or earlier.