PORTLAND – Public health officials say Oregonians should throw away or return ground turkey linked to food producer Cargill Inc., after the company recalled 36 million pounds of the meat this week.

The voluntary recall by Minneapolis-based Cargill follows a nationwide outbreak of Salmonella food poisonings that sickened at least 76 people around the country.

The Salmonella outbreak associated with Cargill turkey has resulted in one death in California. In Oregon, an infant was hospitalized in Multnomah County but recovered, according to Oregon Public Health Division officials.

Among Cargill’s ground turkey products included in the recall are Honeysuckle White Fresh Ground Turkey, Shady Brook Farms Ground Turkey Burgers and Kroger Fresh Ground Turkey. A complete list of products is attached and also can be found at www.cargill.com/turkey-recall.

Dr. Richard Leman, medical epidemiologist with Oregon Public Health, has been working with state public health officials around the country, as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention, to track this outbreak of a unique strain of salmonella, called Heidelberg, and determine its origins.

“Based on interviews with many people around the country who were ill with this strain of Salmonella, ground turkey was implicated,” Leman said. “Consumers who have any of these products in their home freezers should throw them out or return them to the store.”

Heidelberg, like other strains of Salmonella, causes salmonellosis, an acute bacterial infection that can lead to diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Symptoms usually develop within one to five days after eating contaminated food. Most cases resolve without the need for medical attention, and antibiotics are not advised for people who get sick but don’t have complications.

People who have eaten ground turkey and developed severe symptoms should seek advice from a health care provider. Some people with salmonellosis develop serious illness that can lead to hospitalization and even death, Leman said.

Leman reminded Oregonians to maintain good hand and cooking hygiene whenever preparing food, especially poultry and other meat products. People should wash their hands thoroughly before and after handling meat; thoroughly clean all food preparation surfaces, cooking utensils and cookware; and always cook ground poultry to internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit as measured with a food thermometer.

Uncooked ground poultry should be refrigerated no longer than one to two days, and kept in the freezer no more than three to four months. Cooked ground poultry can be refrigerated for three to four days and frozen for two to three months.