The FDA is weighing in on the Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that sickened 10 people in 5 states. Four people were hospitalized and one patient developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. This salad mix also made 25 people sick in Canada, where the Fresh Express product was recalled. There was no recall issued in the U.S. The contaminated Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp Chopped salad kits that made people sick are "likely no longer available on the market," according to the FDA statement. The outbreak has ended as of January 15, 2020 after sickening 1 person in Georgia, Illinois, and North Dakota; three in Wisconsin; and four in Minnesota. Once again, the FDA states that this outbreak, the outbreak associated with Evergreen … [Read more...]
Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak Ends With 10 Sick
The Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp E. coli O157:H7 outbreak is over, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), after sickening 10 people in 5 states and hospitalizing 4. One patient developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). That is an increase of two more patients in two more states from the latest outbreak update that was released on December 9, 2019. The two new patients live in Georgia and Illinois. The case count by state is: Georgia (1), Illinois (1), Minnesotas (4), North Dakota (1), and Wisconsin (3). Illness onset dates ranged from November 5, 2019 to November 16, 2019. The patient age range is from 21 to 92. Four of 10 patients were hospitalized, and one person developed HUS. No deaths were reported. The contaminated Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp … [Read more...]
Salinas Romaine E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak Over After Sickening 167
The Salinas romaine E. coli O157:H7 outbreak is declared over by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), after sickening 167 people in 27 states. That is an increase of 29 more patients and two more states since the last outbreak update on December 19, 2019. Eighty-five people were hospitalized, 15 people developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure, and there were no deaths. The CDC is no longer telling people to avoid romaine lettuce from the Salinas Valley growing region in California, but the growing season is over in that area until later this year. Once again, no specific grower or producer was named in this outbreak, although several recalls of products were issued. The case count by state is: Arizona (4), California (8), Colorado (6), … [Read more...]
Minnesota State Fair Lawsuit Filed For a Child Sickened with E. coli O157:H7
The lawyers at Pritzker Hageman have filed a lawsuit on behalf of a 4-year-old boy who was sickened with an E. coli O157:H7 infection he contracted at the Minnesota State Fair last summer. The boy suffered permanent kidney damage as a complication of this infection. The outbreak at the fair sickened 11 people ; it was announced in mid-September 2019. Contact with livestock was a key factor in this outbreak according to public health officials, and in fact many patients said they visited the Miracle of Birth exhibit and had direct contact with goats, sheep, piglets, and calves. Ruminant animals such as goats, sheep, and cows can carry E. coli O157:H7 bacteria in their intestines. The pathogen is shed in their feces, and can contaminate bedding, floors, fences, and gates in the … [Read more...]
Timeline of Three Romaine E. coli O157:H7 Outbreaks
This timeline of three romaine E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks is intended to reduce confusion about the illnesses and the products and restaurants they are linked to or potentially linked to. The three outbreaks are a large multistate outbreak linked to romaine lettuce grown in Salinas, California; an outbreak linked to Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp Chopped Salad Kit that has sickened people in the upper Midwest; and an E. coli outbreak associated with seven Evergreen restaurants in the Seattle, Washington area. Only the outbreak associated with Evergreen restaurants has been declared over. All three of these outbreaks have been named by the FDA as having a common grower, even though the strains of E. coli are different. The FDA notice states, "Currently, the tracebacks on all three … [Read more...]
Seven Seattle Evergreen Restaurants Associated with E. coli Outbreak
There are now seven Seattle Evergreen Restaurants associated with an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that has sickened 15 people, an increase of two more patients since the last update posted in December 2019. The outbreak appears to be over, according to the Seattle King County Health Department, but the investigation is ongoing. Three people were hospitalized because they were so sick. The seven Seattle Evergreen restaurants named by the health department include Evergreen locations at: Pioneer Square (106 1st Avenue S, Seattle) University District (4609 Village Ter NE, Seattle) Downtown (823 3rd Avenue, Seattle) Chinatown-International District (504 5th Ave South, Seattle) Sammamish Highlands (600 228th Avenue NE, Sammamish) Seattle-Tacoma International Airport … [Read more...]
Stater Bros Ground Beef Salmonella Outbreak Ends With 13 Sick
The Stater Bros ground beef Salmonella Dublin outbreak has ended with 13 sick in 8 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nine people were hospitalized, and one person who lived in California died. Since the last update on November 17, 2019, two more ill persons from Colorado and New Mexico were added to the outbreak total. The case count by state is: California (2), Colorado (4), Iowa (1), Kansas (2), New Mexico (1), Oklahoma (1), Texas (1), and Washington (1). Illness onset dates range from August 8, 2019 to October 22, 2019. The patient age range was from 39 to 74 years. The hospitalization rate, given that 11 people talked to public health officials, was 82%, which is four times the average hospitalization rate for a Salmonella outbreak. In … [Read more...]
Tailor Cut Fruit Mix Salmonella Javiana Outbreak Sickens 96
The Tailor Cut fruit mix Salmonella Javiana outbreak has now sickened at least 96 people in 11 states, hospitalizing 27, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Since the last official update on December 11, 2019, 85 more ill persons have been added to the list. At that time, the case count was 11, even though Pennsylvania officials said that 33 people who were in four healthcare facilities were sickened in their state. And on December 21, 2019, the state of Delaware released information that 26 schoolchildren living in New Castle County were sick after eating Tailor Cut produce. The CDC update states that "These illnesses started during the same time period as the illnesses reported on December 11, but were not confirmed as part of the outbreak at that … [Read more...]
Cyclospora Number One Multistate Food Poisoning Outbreak For 2019
Cyclospora is the number one multistate food poisoning outbreak for 2019, with more than 2400 people sick. This wasn't an individual outbreak, but many individual cases and several outbreaks linked to a venue or product. The overall number of domestically acquired cases is higher than those from 2017 and 2018. These are the outbreaks of cyclosporiasis linked to a venue or food: An outbreak associated with workplace cafeterias in Virginia that sickened at least 39 people. A large cyclospora outbreak at Cooper’s Hawk Winery in the Jacksonville, Florida area sickened at least 132 people in 11 states. An outbreak in Minnesota sickened 35 people and was associated with three restaurants located in different areas of the state. Cyclosporiasis illnesses in New York City in … [Read more...]
JBS Tolleson Ground Beef Salmonella Outbreak Was #2 of 2019
The JBS Tolleson ground beef Salmonella outbreak was the #2 multistate food poisoning outbreak of 2019, sickening at least 403 people in 30 states. There were 117 hospitalizations and no deaths. The patient case count by state was: Arizona (54), California (143), Colorado (60), Connecticut (1), Hawaii (5), Idaho (3), Iowa (2), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Kansas (1), Kentucky (1), Louisiana (5), Michigan (1), Massachusetts (1), Minnesota (2), Mississippi (2), Missouri (3), Montana (10), New Mexico (23), New York (1), Nevada (14), Ohio (9), Oklahoma (10), Oregon (1), South Dakota (10), Texas (19), Utah (11), Washington (3), West Virginia (1), Wyoming (5). Illnesses started on dates ranging from August 5, 2018 to February 8, 2019. Thirty-four percent of patients were hospitalized, which … [Read more...]
