The outbreak of clover sprouts E. coli O103 hits Utah hard with the most illnesses of any state. At least 27 people are sick in Utah as of March 19, 2020. There are 39 people sickened in the entire outbreak. Public health officials say that epidemiologic, traceback, and laboratory evidence has found that raw clover sprouts are the source of this outbreak. No official has offered an explanation of why the number of ill persons in Utah exploded from 3 to 27 in just a few weeks.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that clover sprouts served at Jimmy John’s restaurants in Utah, as well as other states, may have made people sick. In interviews, 58% of ill persons said that ate sprouts at a Jimmy John’s restaurant the week before they got sick.
A recall of Chicago Indoor Garden raw clover sprouts was issued on March 17, 2020. The FDA found the outbreak strain of E. coli O103 on some of those raw sprouts, but the recall notice stated that no illnesses were linked to that product.
Jimmy John’s removed raw clover sprouts from their menu on February 24, 2020. That product should no longer be available at that restaurant.
You can contact food safety attorney Fred Pritzker for help by calling 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202. He has represented many clients sickened with E. coli infections in lawsuits against food processors, producers, and restaurants.
Public health officials warn that people at high risk for complications from food poisoning should avoid raw sprouts completely unless they are thoroughly cooked. Those groups include young children, the elderly, people with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, and those with compromised or suppressed immune systems.
Symptoms of an E. coli O103 infection include a mild fever, nausea and vomiting, very painful and severe stomach and abdominal cramps, and diarrhea that is bloody or watery. Anyone who has eaten raw clover sprouts and has been sick with those symptoms should see a doctor. They might be part of this E. coli O103 outbreak.
