An E. coli outbreak at the Acapulco Mexican Restaurant in Andover, Minnesota has been confirmed by Doug Schultz, Information and Communications Officer for the Minnesota Department of Health. He said, “We are investigating a cluster of STEC cases that ate at the Andover location.” That restaurant is located at 13753 Ibis St NW in Andover.
The last time an ill person ate at that restaurant was in mid-August, 2019. The Minnesota Health Department does not consider this outbreak to be an ongoing situation. Dana Eikmeier, the epidemiologist working on this outbreak, told us that three adults were sickened. One was hospitalized, and no one developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). She also said it’s likely that the DOH won’t find the suspect food, since the case count was so low.
STEC infections, or Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infections, have been linked to several food items in the past few years, including romaine lettuce, ground bison, raw oysters, flour, and ground beef. Sometimes the source of the pathogen is never found.
The E. coli bacteria produces Shiga toxins, which attack the lining of the intestines, causing the bloody diarrhea that is characteristic of this illness. Shiga toxins can then travel into the bloodstream, where they destroy red blood cells.
You can contact Minneapolis food safety attorney Fred Pritzker for help with E. coli food poisoning and HUS by calling 612-338-0202 or 1-888-377-8900.
The misshapen red blood cells go to the kidneys, where they clog and destroy small tubes in that organ. That complication is called hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, and primarily occurs to children under the age of 5.
Symptoms of an E. coli infection usually begin a few days to a week after a person eats food contaminated with the bacteria. Typically, patients suffer severe and painful abdominal cramps, a mild fever, and watery and/or bloody diarrhea. Symptoms of hemolytic uremic syndrome include little or no urine output because of kidney failure, lethargy, pale skin, and easy bruising.
Most people do see a doctor when they contract this type of food poisoning because the symptoms are so severe and alarming. Anyone who is experiencing these symptoms should see a doctor as soon as possible. If you ate at the Acapulco Mexican Restaurant in Blaine, Minnesota and have been sick, see your doctor.
