Government health officials are warning that salmonella bacteria detected in an outbreak of food poisoning from popular turkey burgers may be resistant to common drugs used to fight serious infection.

At least a dozen people in 10 states have been sickened by raw, frozen turkey burger products produced by the Jennie-O Turkey Store in Willmar, Minn. The firm recalled nearly 55,000 pounds of the meat last week after illnesses were reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Late Monday, CDC officials announced that the strain of Samonella Hadar found in the meat appear to be resistant to several common antibiotics, including ampicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanate, cephalothin and tetracycline.

Drug resistance can "increase the risk of hospitalization or possible treatment failure in infected individuals," a CDC statement said.

Health officials have long worried about development of a strain of drug-resistant bacteria in a mass outbreak of foodborne illness.

Among the 12 people with illnesses associated with the turkey burgers, three have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42425976/ns/health-food_safety/

No news by suspend date (July 7, 2011) settles as "No"