Health Warnings Concern Families Heading Into Thanksgiving

(CBSDFW.COM) - As millions of Americans prepare for Thanksgiving on Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning people to keep some things off the menu.

Many grocery stores like Central Market have pulled romaine lettuce off its shelves in the latest warning regarding a new outbreak of E. coli. The CDC has advised people not to eat any romaine lettuce and for stores and restaurants to stop serving it.

However, this is not the only concern heading into the big turkey day.

Many Americans are also concerns about an ongoing salmonella outbreak linked to raw turkeys. The CDC says over the past year, there have been 164 illnesses in 35 states, including one death in California.

Salmonella has been detected in ground turkey, raw turkey pet food and live turkeys. It's an indications that the bacteria is widespread in the turkey industry.

The company Jennie-O had to recall packages of ground turkey in regards to the outbreak.

Experts are reminding everyone to be careful when handling raw turkey in the kitchen. This starts with thawing in the refrigerator and not on the counter.

"We want to make sure people are washing their hands after handling raw turkey, making sure people are cooking turkey to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. If you cook turkey to the internal temperature of 165 degrees, this strain of salmonella should die," said Dr. Colin Basler with the CDC.