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Salmonella at Ga. plant may have contributed to 7 deaths
Salmonella Outbreak Heal
This file photo, shows the Peanut Corp. of America plant in Blakely, Ga. Peanut Corp. of America president Stewart Parnell said through an external public relations firm that a majority of the plant's employees had been let go for the time being since production has been shut down. - photo by Associated Press

       BLAKELY, Ga. — Health officials say the death of a Minnesota woman has been linked to the nationwide salmonella outbreak and now the infection may have contributed to seven deaths.

      Officials say the woman was in her 80s and lived at a long-term car facility. Most of the other deaths that salmonella may have contributed to also involved the elderly.

      Their exact causes of death haven't been determined, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the salmonella may have contributed. Almost 500 people have been sickened in the outbreak.

      The company that owns the Blakely peanut butter plant at the center of an investigation into a nationwide salmonella outbreak has laid off a majority of the plant's roughly 50 employees for the duration of the investigation.

      Peanut Corp. of America president Stewart Parnell said through an external public relations firm that a majority of the plant's employees had been let go for the time being since production has been shut down.

      Three managers remained onsite sorting through documents to help the Food and Drug Administration investigation into the outbreak.

      It was not immediately clear when the plant would be running again and whether all the workers would be brought back once production resumes.

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