The U.S. Department of Agriculture says three poultry plants in California owned by Foster Farms and linked to an outbreak of salmonella that sickened nearly 300 people across 17 states can remain open. The agency previously threatened to close the facilities, saying conditions there “could pose a serious ongoing threat to public health.” The salmonella scare has coincided with the crippling of federal health agencies under the government shutdown. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which tracks multi-state outbreaks, about 68 percent of workers were furloughed. Thirty were recalled to respond to the outbreak. At the Food and Drug Administration, which provides food inspections, about 45 percent of staff are furloughed. The USDA’s hotline for safety issues related to meat and poultry is closed.