Michigan hardest hit in Wendy's romaine lettuce E. coli O157:H7 outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Michigan Department of Health, with at least 53 sick and 31 hospitalized. And eight of those patients have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a type of kidney failure. The number of people sickened in that state has changed dramatically in the past two weeks. On August 16, 2022, a press release from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said there were 98 cases of E. coli in three counties in that state, with "some" of the cases linked to each other. That compares to just 20 cases in the same time period in 2021. On August 19, 2022, another press release stated that there were 43 cases of Shiga … [Read more...]
Now 84 Sick in Wendy’s E. coli Romaine Lettuce Outbreak
Now there are 84 sick in Wendy's E. coli romaine lettuce outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There are 38 people who have been hospitalized, and eight people have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure that is a complication of this type of illness. That is a huge increase or 47 more illnesses from 37 official illnesses just one week ago. The case count by state is: Indiana (6), Michigan (53), Ohio (23), and Pennsylvania (2). Illness onset dates range from July 26, 2022 to August 9, 2022. The patient age range is from 5 to 94 years. Of 73 people who gave information to investigator4s, 38 have been hospitalized, for a hospitalization rate of 52%. Eight people who live in Michigan have developed hemolytic uremic … [Read more...]
Now 369 Sick in Daily Harvest French Lentils + Leek Outbreak
There are now 369 sick in Daily Harvest French Lentils + Leeks Crumbles outbreak as of August 25, 2022, according to the FDA. The FDA says that 125 people have been hospitalized. The last illness onset date was August 9, 2022. The FDA and CDC are still investigating consumer complaints of gastrointestinal illness and abnormal liver function that "may be attributable" to eating this frozen product. Daily Harvest voluntarily recalled this product on June 17, 2022 in response to complaints. The FDA has inspected the company's facility and taken samples to try to determine the cause of the illnesses. The complaints are coming through the Consumer Adverse Event Reporting System. The states where patients live are: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, … [Read more...]
E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak in King County, Washington Sickens 7
An E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in King County, Washington state has sickened at least seven people, according to the King County Department of Public Health. The notice stated that "at this time, this outbreak does not appear to be related to a multistate outbreak initially found in at least four different states." Four people have been hospitalized, and three children have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a type of kidney failure. Six of the patients have recovered, and one is currently recovering. The patient age range is from 11 months to 35 years. Five cases are among children under the age of 15. The illness onset date is from December 31, 2021 to August 18 2022, with six of the cases reported since June 26, 2022. Six of the seven patients had illness onset … [Read more...]
How Many in Wendy’s E. coli Outbreak? Depends on Who You Ask
How many sick in Wendy's E. coli outbreak? It depends on who you ask. According to the CDC, there are 37 people sick with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 as of August 18, 2022. But if you add in the number of confirmed cases according to the Michigan Department of Health, there are 43, not 15 that the CDC counts. And officials in Wood County, Ohio state that there are 22 people sick in that county alone with seven hospitalizations, although only nine have been confirmed as the outbreak strain. The state of Ohio says there are 19 total sick in that state, with seven in Wood county, but 12 in seven other counties. And there are patients in Indiana and Pennsylvania. This type of disparity is fairly common in the early stages of an investigation. And the Centers for Disease … [Read more...]
Ohio Wendy’s E. coli Outbreak Grows to 19 Sick, Four Hospitalized
The Ohio Wendy's E. coli outbreak has grown to include 19 people sick with four in the hospital, according to the Ohio Department of Health. There is no mention of any patient with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a type of kidney failure that is a complication of this type of infection. That is an increase of three patients since the last update from Wood county on August 15, 2022. And the number of counties included in the case count have expanded. The patient case count by county is: Wood (7), Lorain (3), Cuyahoga (2), Lucas (2), Mahoning (2), Clermont (1), Franklin (1), and Summit (1). The paitent age range is from 8 to 82 years. There are 11 males and eight females. Four people have been hospitalized. Romaine lettuce served on Wendy's burgers and sandwiches has been … [Read more...]
Wendy’s Michigan E. coli Outbreak Grows to 43 Sick, 24 in Hospital
The Wendy's Michigan E. coli outbreak has grown to include 43 people sickened and at least 24 hospitalized. Four people have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure that is a complication of this infection. The CDC total for the state is currently just 15, so this is a dramatic case count increase. The case count includes patients from these counties: Allegan, Branch, Clinton, Genesee, Gratiot, Jackson, Kent, Macomb, Midland, Monroe, Muskegon, Oakland, Ogemaw, Ottawa, Saginaw, Washtenaw, and Wayne. The city of Detroit is also included. The patient age range is from 6 to 94 years. Dr. Alexis Travis, senior deputy director of public health administration at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said in as statement, "We are reminding … [Read more...]
Wendy’s Romaine Lettuce Named in Growing E. coli Outbreak
Wendy's romaine lettuce has been named in the growing E. coli outbreak by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While this has not been confirmed, many sick people reported eating sandwiches made with romaine lettuce at Wendy's restaurants in Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania before getting sick. Based on this information, Wendy's is removing the romaine lettuce used in those sandwiches from restaurants in that region. Wendy's uses a different type of romaine lettuce in their salads. Investigators are trying to confirm whether romaine lettuce is the source of this outbreak, and whether that lettuce was used in Wendy's sandwiches sold in other states. The case count by state is: Indiana (1), Michigan (15), Ohio (19), and Pennsylvania (2). Indiana and Pennsylvania … [Read more...]
History of Fast Food E. coli Outbreaks is Long and Complicated
There is a mystery E. coli outbreak that has sickened dozens of people in Michigan and Ohio. After days of counties reporting the illnesses, the CDC got involved in the investigation yesterday. At least 29 people in those states are sick, and nine patients have been hospitalized. What could be causing this outbreak? We started thinking about the history of fast food E. coli outbreaks over the years. Unfortunately, outbreaks and fast food restaurants are a fairly common combination. There have been many Salmonella, E. coli, and cyclospora outbreaks associated with those restaurants. The main fast food restaurant chains in this country include Wendy's, McDonald's, Jimmy John's, Jack in the Box, Burger King, and Hardees, among others. These are the E. coli outbreaks linked to fast food … [Read more...]
Strawberry Hepatitis A Outbreak Ends with 18 Sick 13 Hospitalized
The strawberry hepatitis A outbreak has ended with 18 sick, including one probable case, and 13 hospitalized, including 1 probable case, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The illness were linked to FreshKampo and HEB organic strawberries. The case count by state is: California (16), Minnesota (1), and North Dakota (1). Illness onset dates range from March 28, 2022 to May 6, 2022. The patient age range was from 9 to 73 years. Epidemiologic and traceback evidence has indicated that fresh organic strawberries were the likely source of this outbreak. In interviews, 73% of patients reported eating fresh organic strawberries before they got sick. If you purchased either brand of strawberries during the time period of March 5, 2022 through April 15, … [Read more...]
