The E. coli O103 outbreak originally announced in Kentucky yesterday apparently also has sickened people living in Tennessee, Ohio, and Indiana, according to news reports. Twenty confirmed cases are in Kentucky, and one each in the other states for a total of 23 ill. Most of the illnesses occurred between March 5 and 25, 2019.
The cases in Kentucky are spread among several counties throughout the state. Fayette county, in the northeastern part of the state, has the most cases with five. But officials say there isn’t enough commonality between those five cases to establish a source of the pathogen.
No source, whether food or venue, has been named in this outbreak, but officials in Kentucky have stated that “extensive exposure to fast food” may be linked to these illnesses. Fast food outlets have been the sources of food poisoning outbreaks in the past.
At least six people are hospitalized because their illnesses are so severe. Hospitalizations usually occur with an E. coli infection because of dehydration or the development of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication that can cause kidney failure. We don’t know the ages of those hospitalized or if they have recovered.
Children under the age of five are most likely to develop HUS after an E. coli infection. Officials have said that people of all ages are sick in this outbreak.
You can contact food safety attorney Fred Pritzker for help by calling 1-888-377-8900.
Food safety attorney Fred Pritzker, who has represented many clients sickened with E. coli infections and HUS, said, “No one should be sick enough to be hospitalized just because they ate fast food. And since people are now sick in three states, the source is most likely a widely distributed food.”
The symptoms of an Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infection include abdominal and stomach cramps that are very painful, and diarrhea that is watery and bloody. The symptoms of HUS include little urine output, lethargy, tiredness, and pale skin. If you or anyone you know is suffering with these symptoms, they should see a doctor as soon as possible.
