Hundreds of people in 18 states are sick with salmonella. According to Reuters, the outbreak was linked to raw chicken products that were produced by three California plants that are owned by Foster Farms, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Monday, Oct. 7.

"The outbreak is continuing," USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said in a statement.

There is an estimated 278 illnesses reported that were caused by strains of Salmonella Heidelberg. Most of the victims reside mostly in California. The chicken products were distributed to retail outlets in California, Oregon and Washington state, USDA said.

The illnesses were linked to Foster Farms through investigations led by the local, state and federal authorities.

In a statement, California-based Foster Farms stated that it was working with authorities to reduce the incidences of Salmonella Heidelberg on raw chicken products. The company added that no recall is in effect.

"In addition to collaborating with FSIS and CDC, the company has retained national experts in epidemiology and food safety technology to assess current practices and identify opportunities for further improvement," Foster Farms President Ron Foster said in a statement.

The most common symptoms of salmonella infection include: diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within 8 to 72 hours. According to the Mayo Clinic, other symptoms would include nausea, vomiting, chills, headache, muscle pains and blood in the stool. All these symptoms can last four to seven days.

Since salmonella infection can cause dehydration, the focus of the treatment would be to replace the fluids and electrolytes. Severe cases might require hospitalization and intravenous intervention. In addition to that, the doctor might recommend the patient to take anti-diarrhea and antibiotics. Anti-diarrhea such as Ioperamide can help to relieve the cramping.

The raw products from the facilities bear one of the following numbers inside a USDA mark of inspection or elsewhere on the package: P6137, P6137A or P7632. So if you see these numbers then it might be safe not to use it.