An E.coli outbreak linked to spinach and spring mix sold at Wegmans and other grocery stores has ended after sickening 33 people in five states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The salad greens were produced by State Garden of Chelsea, Mass. and sold in plastic, clamshell containers at Wegmans grocery stores.
The outbreak strain of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (STEC O157:H7) sickened 26 people in New York, three in Mass., two in Conn. and one each in Pennsylvania and Virginia. Almost half of the victims, 46 percent, were hospitalized, two with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. There were no fatalities reported.
E.coli 0157:H7 is the strain found most commonly in people who have been sickened by E.coli. For victims of this outbreak, onset of illness ranged from October 18, 2012 to November 12, 2012. Those sickened ranged in age from 4 to 66 years old with a median age of 24. Almost two thirds of the victims, 63 percent, were female. During interviews with state health officials, 97 percent of patients reported eating pre-packaged leafy greens before becoming ill and 48 percent mentioned Wegmans brand Organic Spinach and Spring Mix blend.
Wegmans issued a voluntarily recall its 5-ounce and 11-ounce clam shell packages of Organic Spinach and Spring Mix blend, on November 2, 2012. State Garden, which produced the salad mix, issued a consumer advisory on October 12 and 13, 2012.
