E. coli O157 has sickened at least 10 people in Michigan and Ohio in what may be a multistate outbreak linked to ground beef. All of the Michigan cases reported eating a rare hamburger at a restaurant before becoming ill.
The Ohio Department of Health is investigating four cases of E. coli O157, three in Lucas County and 1 in Portage county. The case patients range in age from 19 to 42 years old. Three of them were hospitalized but none developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) which leads to kidney failure.
Laboratory testing has shown that the Ohio cases are a genetic match to at least five cases reported in MI earlier this week. Those cases patients, who range in age from 20 to 41, all reported eating rare hamburgers at different restaurants in late April.
Now, a sixth potential Michigan case is now being investigated, according to the Traverse City Record Eagle. The woman lives in the Grand Traverse and Benzie-Leelanau area but visited Grand Rapids in late April where she ate a rare hamburger at a restaurant before becoming ill.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is working with state and county health departments to identify the source of the meat. Health officials say it is likely the meat was contaminated before it arrived at the restaurant locations.
