The US Department of Agriculture issued a public health alert for raw chicken packaged at three Foster Farms facilities in California. An estimated 278 people have fallen ill in the past six months, RT reported. The Salmonella outbreak has spread to 18 states, and most of the reported illnesses have been in California. Strains of Salmonella Heidelberg are associated with chicken distributed to retail outlets in California, Oregon and Washington State, the USDA said.