A second secret E. coli outbreak has sickened 23 people and hospitalized 10, according to information released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) late last night. The first outbreak, which was caused by a different strain of E. coli O157:H7, was also announced last night.
This outbreak is caused by the same strain of bacteria that contaminated romaine lettuce and sickened 167 people in 27 states in 2019. While this information is significant, it doesn’t mean that this outbreak was caused by leafy greens. A specific food has not been identified yet, and the government is not making any recommendations for consumers to avoid any particular food.
But in another twist, the outbreak investigation statement says, “State and local public health officials are interviewing ill people to determine what they ate and other exposures in the week before they got sick. People have reported eating a variety of foods, including leafy greens. Of the 13 people interviewed to date, all reported eating various types of leafy greens, like iceberg lettuce (9), romaine lettuce (8), mixed bag lettuce (6), and spinach (9).”
The case count by state is: California (2), Illinois (1), Kansas (4), Michigan (2), Missouri (2), North Dakota (4), Ohio (1), Pennsylvania (2), Tennessee (1), Utah (1), Washington (1), and Wisconsin (2). The patient age range is from 5 to 81 years. Of 15 people who gave information to investigators, 10 have been hospitalized, including two who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with food poisoning, you can contact attorney Fred Pritzker for help by calling 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
Noted food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker, who has represented many clients sickened with E. coli O157:H7 infections in lawsuits, said, “There have been five E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks linked to romaine lettuce every year in the United States since 2017. No one should get sick because they bought lettuce for a salad.”
Symptoms of and E. coli O157:H7 infection are usually severe .Patients may develop a mild fever and experience nausea and vomiting. The hallmark symptoms of this infection, however, are painful and severe abdominal cramps along with bloody and watery diarrhea.
In some populations, especially children under the age of 5, a complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) may appear. This is a type of kidney failure. Symptoms of HUS include little or no urine output, lethargy, pale skin, easy bruising, and bleeding from the nose and mouth.
If you or anyone you know have been ill with these symptoms, please see your doctor as soon as possible. You may be part of this secret E. coli O157:H7 outbreak.
If you or a loved one have been sickened with and E. coli O157:H7 infection or HUS, please contact our experienced attorneys for help at 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
