We all know that college students love fast food. The easy access, high flavor (thanks to high sodium) and bang for your buck appeal to young people. Sprouts seem like a “healthy” addition to sandwiches. And fast food restaurants tend to cluster around large colleges and universities.
At Michigan State University, that draw and proximity may have sickened at least one student. There are at least three Jimmy John’s restaurants near the college. The state has two confirmed E. coli 026 cases and five potential cases. All seven people ate raw sprouts at Jimmy John’s restaurants in the past several weeks.
The Centers for Disease Control, the FDA, and the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) are all working together to determine the source of the sprouts. The two cases confirmed in Michigan have the same genetic fingerprint as the cases reported in other states.
And the MDCH is telling people about the type of illness caused by E. coli 026 so if they do experience those symptoms, they see their doctor. If the doctor suspects food poisoning, she will report it to authorities.
Agencies are also recommending that raw clover sprouts be avoided in Michigan until further notice. There may still be contaminated sprouts on the market.
