The E. coli O157:H7 outbreak at Federico’s Mexican Restaurant in Litchfield Park, Arizona has now grown to include 79 people. At least 23 people have been hospitalized in this outbreak. This is now the largest E. coli outbreak in the United States in years. In 2009, 77 people were sickened after eating contaminated raw refrigerated prepared cookie dough.
All of those sickened in this outbreak ate at the restaurant between July 18 and July 30, 2013. Officials believe that the outbreak may be over, but the exact cause of the contamination has not yet been determined.
At least two people have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe complication of an E. coli O157:H7 infection that can destroy the kidneys. Symptoms of an E. coli infection include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea that may be bloody and/or watery, fever, nausea, and vomiting. Symptoms of HUS are the same as E. coli symptoms but include pale skin tone, small, unexplained bruises, bleeding from the nose and mouth, decreased urination, blood in the urine, and swelling.
