Nearly 200 people suffered from a salmonella outbreak that health authorities say originated in pork from Kapowsin Meats in Graham. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has concluded its investigation of the outbreak, but the business remains voluntarily closed. Gabrielle Johnston, a spokeswoman for USDA in Washington, D.C., said last week that the agency's Food Safety and Inspection Service and the national Centers for Disease Control "have closed this outbreak with the final case count being 192 case patients." Gabrielle Johnston, a spokeswoman for USDA in Washington, D.C., said last week that the agency's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the national Centers for Disease Control "have closed this outbreak with the final case count being 192 case patients." Last summer, Kapowsin Meats recalled approximately 523,000 pounds of pork products. As an invetigation beggan, the meat supplier voluntarily suspended operations. FSIS conducted meat sampling tests at Kapowsin Meats while the business addressed sanitary conditions at the facility after the original recall on Aug. 13. Sampling revealed salmonella in whole hogs, associated pork products and throughout the facility, officials said. The whole hogs were produced between April 18 and Aug. 26. The recalled products were boxed/bagged Whole Hogs for Barbeque and fabricated pork products, including pork blood and pork trim. The product subject to recall bore the establishment number "Est. 1628GÇ¥ inside the USDA mark of inspection. The product was shipped to customers in Alaska, Oregon and Washington, according to USDA. FSIS said some products may have been frozen and in consumers' freezers. Consumers who bought the products were urged to throw them away or return them to the place of purchase. Retailers that might have purchased whole hogs from Kapowsin Meats for resale include 53 in Washington, five in Alaska and two in Oregon. Pierce County locations included Beef Outlet-Butcher Boys and Blue Max in Puyallup, and Dave's Meat and Produce, Hong Kong Tacoma and East Asia in Tacoma, officials reported. Eating food contaminated with salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common foodborne illnesses. Typical symptoms are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating the contaminated product. The illness usually lasts four to seven days.
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