Update: After initial publication Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called back 30 employees inresponse to the salmonella outbreak,reports MedPage Today. As of Wednesday morning, the CDC has not reported any new cases, but believes that antibiotic-resistant salmonella strains are responsible for the high number of hospitalizations, according to theLos Angeles Times.

A salmonella outbreak has infected 278 people across 18 states — mainly California, Oregon and Washington, according to the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The heightened cause for concern comes courtesy of the government shutdown.

(MORE: Everyday Foods That Can Make You Sick)

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which tracks foodborne illness outbreaks, has been operating on limited funding since last week’s shutdown.Under normal conditions, the CDC would offer cross-state consultation and lab work to help states fight disease outbreaks. CDC detectives cannot perform these tasks because they have been locked out of their offices, lab and emails, according to Wired. Consumers concerned aboutthe outbreak could also have a tough time getting information because many federal health agency websites are affected by the shutdown.

Instead,FSIS, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is investigating the issue, according to CNN.

Officials have identified raw chicken products from Foster Farms plants as the source of the outbreak. Foster Farms was also linked to a salmonella outbreak this past July in which 134 people in 13 states fell ill.

The Food and Drug Administration reminds people to cook chicken at a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit to kill harmful bacteria.

Common symptoms of salmonellosis include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever, according to the FSIS.

MORE FROM WEATHER.COM: Ten Killer Foodborne Illness Outbreaks

The CDC has records of the deadliest foodborne illness outbreaks since the early 1970s, and five of the top ten outbreaks have occurred since 2000. Click through to see history's deadliest outbreaks. (Thinkstock/Jupiterimages)