Warning: CDC reports multidrug-resistant salmonella outbreak in 26 states

The CDC agency announced a widespread Salmonella outbreak from eating turkey.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 90 people have been infected with the outbreak strain. And despite no deaths have been reported, 40 people have been sent to the hospital.

Investigators have linked the outbreak to raw turkey in various products and pet foods. It's also been linked to live turkeys.

The federal agency said the outbreak hasn't been identified in a single source of raw turkey, indicating it might be widespread in the turkey industry. Read more on our Twitter account @amomama_usa.

The 26 states where cases were reported are Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Most of the states where people have become ill are in the eastern half of the country, but a few western states have also had cases, like Alaska and Hawaii.

While the CDC labeled the salmonella in this outbreak as “multidrug-resistant,” only 33 percent of the isolates from sick people showed genes that would fight off the effects of antibiotics ampicillin, streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole, gentamicin, and kanamycin.

The CDC said consumers should wash their hands, make sure any raw turkey is cooked thoroughly, and to carefully wash areas where raw turkey is handled. They're also telling dog owners to avoid raw food diets.

The most common symptoms of salmonella, appearing 12 to 72 hours after exposure, include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. The illness usually lasts between four and seven days, said the CDC.

However, the agency is not advising stores to stop selling raw turkey products. The bacteria can´t resist high temperatures from the cooking process, so consumers can continue to eat properly cooked turkey products.

Most people recover from salmonella without treatment, but in some severe cases, if the infection spreads beyond the intestines, antibiotics are required.

Those most at risk for severe infection include young children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems like people who are HIV positive or cancer patients.