A Wood county Ohio E. coli outbreak has sickened at least 15 people and hospitalized five, according to news reports. That is three years’ worth of those illnesses for that county that have been reported in one week. Genetic testing is underway to see if the cases are related, with results expected early next week.
There is another ongoing E. coli outbreak in Ottawa county, Michigan. At least nine preple are sick in that outbreak, with four hospitalized. There is currently no indication that the illnesses in those two locations are related, but that could change depending on what investigators find.
The patient age range is from 13 to 60. The five hospitalized patients range in age from 21 to 60.
The Wood County Health Department is working with the Ohio Department of Health and other local health departments in that state to investigate this outbreak. If a link to a food product is indicated, the Ohio Department of Agriculture could be brought into the investigation.
According to the BG Independent News, one person allegedly got sick after visiting the county fair. At this time, fair food is not established as the cause of that illness. The health department is looking at every possible cause in this outbreak.
In the past, E. coli outbreaks have been linked to romaine lettuce, raw sprouts, unpasteurized milk, flour, cake mix, animal exhibits at county and state fairs, ground beef, and bagged salad greens. At this time of year, contact with animals at fairs and romaine lettuce have been the most common culprits. An E. coli outbreak at the Georgia National Fair last year, and a 2019 outbreak linked to romaine lettuce from Salinas County, California are just two examples.
Symptoms of an E. coli infection include a mild fever, nausea and vomiting, severe and painful stomach and abdominal cramps, and diarrhea that is bloody and watery. Symptoms usually start a few days after eating food contaminated with the pathogen, or touching animals that carry it.
If you live in that area and have been sick with those symptoms, see your doctor. You may be part of this Wood County Ohio E. coli outbreak. Anyone who is sick is asked to take a survey from the Wood County Health Department.
If you have been sickened with an E. coli infection, please contact our experienced attorneys for help with a possible lawsuit at 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
