According to the CDC, An estimated 1.4 million cases of Salmonellosis occur annually in the United States. Salmonella Newport is the third most common Salmonella serotype in the United States. During 1997–2001, the number of laboratory-confirmed Salmonella Newport infections reported to CDC increased from 1,584 (5%) of 34,608 reported Salmonella infections to 3,152 (10%) of 31,607 (CDC, unpublished data, 2002). The increasing number of Salmonella Newport infections in the United States appears to be associated with the emergence and rapid dissemination of multidrug-resistant strains of Salmonella Newport.  The title to my post should be – Salmonella Newport Strikes again.  Not to be confused with Newport Beach.

FSIS ALERT: FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Ground Beef Products Due To Possible Salmonella Contamination

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert due to illnesses from Salmonella Newport associated with fresh ground beef products contaminated with multi-drug resistant Salmonella that was ground and sold at Safeway supermarkets in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and New Mexico between Sept. 19 and Nov. 5, 2007.  The alert was initiated after epidemiological investigations conducted by the California Department of Public Health, Arizona Department of Health Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, determined that there is an association between the fresh ground beef products and 38 illnesses reported in Arizona (16), California (18), Idaho (1) and Nevada (3).

In the last few years we have done at least three Salmonella Newport cases – one involving KFC, one involving the Tennessee Taco Company and one also involving hamburger purchased at Wegman’s reported by the CDC as an Outbreak of Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella Newport — United States, January–April 2002:  The outbreak involved 47 persons in five states: New York (34 cases), Michigan (five), Pennsylvania (four), Ohio (two), and Connecticut (two).  What is interesting about Salmonella Newport is its prevalence in "cull cattle" that is used in hamburger production.  We did sue Safeway in 2004 in a Oregon Salmonella case.   From the Salmonella Disease Diagnostic Laboratory:

The National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) listed Salmonella Newport as one of the top ten most frequently identified Salmonella serotypes from U.S. cattle from July 1998 through June 1999. Nontyphoidal salmonellosis is an infection estimated to cause over 1 million cases of illness and 500 deaths in humans annually in the United States. Cull (market) dairy cows account for a large amount of beef, especially ground beef. Of 58 serotypes isolated by culture from culled dairy cows in five regional market cow establishments in the U.S., Salmonella Newport was among the 30 most prevalent serotypes.

According to a company press release – Safeway Inc is warning consumers that some of their ground beef may be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria.  The ground beef in question would have entered the supply chain between September 19 and November 5. The products were sold in five western states – Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and New Mexico.  Officials with the company stress the fact that the Salmonella scare is confined to frozen ground beef products.  The company states that they have received no news of anybody becoming sick from eating their ground beef (what is the disconnect between the government and Safeway), but are urging consumers who may have bought it between the effected dates to throw it away – Hmmmm, I would advise to not eat it and contact you local or state health officials.  Also see this interesting video from YouTube:
I found this quote on a progressive website"There is no word yet from Safeway headquarters on whether the grocery store chain will change its name to something more appropriate."