A new Jimmy John’s E. coli O103 outbreak that has sickened at least 14 people in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Texas, and Utah was just announced by Frank Yiannas, Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response at the FDA. And yes, it is linked to clover sprouts served at Jimmy John’s restaurants in those states.
This is a different outbreak from the one that was announced in December 2019 that has sickened 22 people in Iowa alone, and about which the FDA sent a warning letter to Jimmy John’s and Sprouts Unlimited this week. Yiannas said, “These 14 new cases are not associated with the warning letter that the FDA issued to the company yesterday, but they do underscore the seriousness of the issue as we work with Jimmy John’s to prevent outbreaks like these in the future.”
The case count by state is: Iowa (3), Illinois (6), Missouri (1), Texas (1), and Utah (3). The last illness onset dates was February 11, 2020. There may be more cases reported since it can take weeks between when a person gets sick and they see their doctor and are diagnosed with lab tests.
The FDA is advising consumers who may have recently eaten sprouts at Jimmy John’s to monitor their health for symptoms of an E. coli infection. Those symptoms include a mild fever, nausea and vomiting, severe and painful stomach and abdominal cramps, and diarrhea that is bloody and watery.
If you do develop these symptoms, see your doctor as soon as possible. And if there are any leftover Jimmy John’s sandwiches made with clover sprouts in your home, throw them away immediately. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling the sandwiches.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with food poisoning after eating at a Jimmy John’s restaurant, you can contact attorney Fred Pritzker for help by calling 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
Noted food safety attorney Fred Pritzker said, “The number of outbreaks linked to sprouts served at Jimmy Johns restaurants is climbing. The company needs to address this issue as soon as possible before more people get sick.”
The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that anyone in a high risk group for complications from food poisoning avoid raw sprouts completely. Those groups are children, the elderly, pregnant women, people with chronic illnesses, and those with weakened or compromised immune systems.
Jimmy John’s said that all of its restaurants stopped serving clover sprouts on February 24, 2020. No clover sprouts should be available at any Jimmy John’s restaurants at this time.
