Tennessee health officials worked with their federal partners at the CDC and the USDA-FSIS to investigate an outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg infections at a Tennessee correctional facility. Results from Tennessee's investigation indicated that mechanically separated chicken produced by Tyson Foods, Inc. was the source of the outbreak. A total of 9 ill persons with the outbreak strain of S. Heidelberg were reported from the correctional facility. Illness onsets ranged from November 28, 2013 to November 29, 2013. Two were hospitalized. There were no deaths. On January 10, 2014 Tyson Foods recalled approximately 33,840 pounds of mechanically separated chicken products that may have been contaminated with Salmonella Heidelberg. The chicken products were produced on October 11, 2013 and shipped for institutional use only nationwide. the product was not available for consumer purchase in retail stores.

Specimens from 2 of the 9 Tennessee cases were multidrug-resistant to antibiotics. Specimens from 7 of the 9 Tennessee cases were susceptible to all antibiotics tested.

The CDC identified 23 additional persons infected with this strain from 15 other states with illness onset dates ranging from October 21, 2013 to January 29, 2014. Investigators determined that these ill persons were not related to the outbreak in Tennessee. Source of the infections in these 15 states were not identified.