This week, the CDC announced the end of a deadly leafy greens E. coli outbreak. And revealed that it was caused by the same strain as the deadly outbreak linked to romaine lettuce grown in Yuma, AZ in 2018. This is the fourth multistate outbreak linked to this E. coli O157:H7 strain since 2018. All of them have included at least one fatality. Two of them occurred in 2021. Together these four outbreaks resulted in 274 illnesses, 126 hospitalizations, 33 cases of a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and eight deaths. Leafy greens were identified as the source of two of the outbreaks. For the other two, which occurred in 2020 and 2021, the source was declared as "unknown." Like the 2018 outbreak, some of the greens linked to the outbreak that ended this … [Read more...]
Organic Yogurt E. coli Outbreak Expands, Investigation Continues
An E. coli outbreak linked to organic yogurt sold under the brand names Pure Eire and PCC Market now includes 16 cases, a spokesperson told Food Poisoning Bulletin today. Most of the people sickened are children. Ten people have been hospitalized, and four have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a form of kidney failure associated with E. coli infections. The organic yogurt E. coli outbreak includes 14 cases in Washington and two cases in Arizona. Both cases in Arizona are considered secondary infections, meaning the Arizona patients did not eat the yogurt but were in close contact with a visitor from Wahington who did. The grass-fed, organic yogurt associated with the outbreak is produced by Pure Eire Dairy of Othello, WA and sold under the brand names Pure Eire and PCC … [Read more...]
Organic Yogurt E. coli Outbreak Now Includes Secondary Case in AZ
An organic yogurt E. coli outbreak that includes 11 confirmed cases in Washington now also includes a secondary food poisoning case in Arizona, a health department spokesperson told Food Poisoning Bulletin today. The patient, a 2-year-old girl, did not eat the yogurt but appears to have been exposed to the bacteria by a relative visiting from Washington. She did not require hospitalization. The E. coli O157:H7 outbreak has been linked to grass-fed, organic yogurt made by Pure Eire Dairy of Othello, WA. It was sold under the brand name PCC at PCC Community Markets and the brand name Pure Eire at Super 1 Foods, Andy’s Market and Blue Valley Meats in Walla Walla County and elsewhere. PCC and Pure Eire have both issued yogurt recalls. In addition to 8-oz and 16-oz containers of yogurt, … [Read more...]
Congresswoman Urges USDA to Investigate Adams Farm E. coli Outbreak
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) released a statement yesterday about the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to recalled beef products from Adams Farm Slaughterhouse. At least seven people in four states are sick with E. coli infections after eating those products. She said, "News that a deadly form of E. coli has contaminated beef, veal, and bison products is extremely unsettling and I encourage all consumers to check their freezers to make sure that their products are safe. As E. coli continues to threaten American families, we have more work to do to ensure that all meat products are properly inspected before they are sold in stores. While I am grateful to the Connecticut Department of Public Health and the CDC for doing their due diligence in determining the source of the … [Read more...]
Now 36 People Sick in the Richey, MT E. coli Outbreak
The Dawson County Heath Department and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services have announced that there are now 36 people sick in the E. coli outbreak associated with the Richey Centennial Event & All Class Reunion. That event took place on July 15th through the 17th, 2016. Public health officials say it is too early to definitively state the cause of the outbreak. Local food vendors have been cooperating in the investigation. The Health Department is encouraging anyone who may have leftover foods from those events to not consume them. If you do have leftover food, contact the health department because it may help solve the outbreak. More than 36 people are sick in this outbreak; seven people have been hospitalized. Those sickened live in nine different … [Read more...]
One Child Dies, Another Sick in Maine E. coli Oxford County Fair Outbreak
A child has died and another is seriously ill in an E. coli outbreak that may be associated with the Oxford county fair in Maine. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating this outbreak along with officials from the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and state veterinarians. Both children attended the fair last month. Public health officials are investigating the fair and taking samples from animal exhibits and other venus. Little Colton Guay died after developing hemolytic uremic syndrome a week after attending the fair according to the Boston Globe. HUS is a serious complication of an E. coli infection that attacks the kidneys and can cause strokes, seizures, and kidney failure. The 21-month-old was in his stroller when the family visited … [Read more...]
Health and Safety Violations at The Learning Vine Daycare Center
Health and safety violations have been reported at The Learning Vine daycare center in Greenwood, South Carolina, which is at the center of an E. coli outbreak. The report, issued by the South Carolina Child Care Early Care and Education department, lists 12 violations ranging from cross-contamination at diaper changing stations to open trash cans and a dirty fridge. E. coli infections are spread by contact with infected human waste and animal waste. In this outbreak, at least eight people are sick with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli bacteria; some have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and one 2-year-old boy has died. The daycare has received a "C" grade, which means the facility meets requirements, but that is the lowest grade on the scale. The violations that may be … [Read more...]
Wolverine Ground Beef E. coli Outbreak Sickened 12 in 2014
An E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to ground beef produced by Wolverine Packing Company in 2014 sickened 12 people in 4 states. Ground beef can be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria since STEC bacteria like E. coli are on the surface of beef cuts. When those cuts are ground, the bacteria is mixed throughout the product. And when that ground beef is made into burgers and not thoroughly cooked, people get sick. The case count by state is: Massachusetts (1), Michigan (5), Missouri (1), and Ohio (5). Fifty eight percent of ill persons were hospitalized. No one developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and no deaths were reported. Illness dates ranged from April 22, 2014 to May 2, 2014. The patient age range was from 16 to 46 years, with a median age of 25 years. Public health … [Read more...]
E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak Linked to Trader Joe Glass Onion Salads 2013
In 2013, an E. coli 0157:H7 outbreak linked to Trader Joe's Glass Onion ready-to-eat salads sickened 33 people in 4 states. Two patients developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) as a result of their infections. HUS is a type of kidney failure. E. coli bacteria are found in the intestinal tracts of mammals, particularly cattle. So how did this bacteria get into prepared salads? A recent study from the Food Standards Agency in the UK may provide some answers, even though the federal investigation did not pinpoint the ingredient that was contaminated in this outbreak or the method of contamination. Cross-contamination is the cause of many food poisoning outbreaks when the food doesn't naturally carry the disease-causing bacteria. Facilities that produce ready-to-eat foods use … [Read more...]
2014 Hamburger E. coli Outbreak Traced to Wolverine Packing
When 92 percent of E. coli O157:H7 outbreak patients in May 2014 told health investigators they had previously eaten a hamburger at a restaurant, it wasn't long before USDA food safety officials and the CDC traced the cluster of dangerous illnesses in Michigan and Ohio to ground beef production at Detroit's Wolverine Packing Company. On May 19, 2014, Wolverine Packing recalled 1.8 million pounds of ground beef that had been shipped to distributors, mostly for use in restaurants nationwide. By then, the E. coli outbreak had sickened a total of 12 individuals infected with the outbreak strains of E. coli O157:H7, including five people from Michigan and five from Ohio. Massachusetts and Missouri also were touched by the outbreak. Two victims suffered kidney failure and life-threatening … [Read more...]
