The CDC has announced that the multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infections linked to recalled General Mills flour has grown to include four more patients. Now 46 people in 21 states are sick. One person has developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) as a complication of their illness. General Mills has expanded its recall of flour products to include more production dates. To see all of the UPC numbers and "Better if Used by" dates of the recalled flour products and products containing the flour, please see "General Mills E. Coli Flour Roundup." The most recent illness started on June 25, 2016. An infection with another serotype of E. coli O26 has been added to the outbreak investigation. The Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) bacteria O26 was isolated from a … [Read more...]
French Cheeses Recalled in Canada for E. coli O26:H11
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and La Fromagerie Hamel are recalling three types of French cheese for possible E. coli O26:H11 contamination. No illnesses have been reported in connection with the consumption of this product. This is an update of the recall issued on July 28, 2014. The recalled products are La fromagerie Hamel St-Felicien lait cru France (Rhone-Alpes) in 180 gram containers. The codes on the product are 11634104 Best Before 06/08/2014. There is no UPC number. Also recalled is La fromagerie Hamel St-Marcellin lait cru France (Rhone-Alpes) in 80 gram packages. The codes on the product are 11825104 Best Before 06/08/2014; there is no UPC number. Finally, La fromagerie Hamel St-Marcellin lait cru France (Rhone-Alpes) in 80 gram containers is recalled. The codes … [Read more...]
E. coli 026 Clone Emerging in Europe
New research published in Clinical Infectious Diseases (subscriber only) has discovered a highly virulent clone of Enterohemmorhagic Escherichia coli 026 (EHEC) in Europe. This bacteria often causes the life-threatening complication hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). A study published in the CDC journal Emerging Infectious Diseases in September 2011 found that non-0157 E. coli bacteria are increasingly the source of HUS cases. That study looked at childhood HUS cases in Scotland that were caused by E. coli 026. Hemolytic uremic syndrome is most commonly associated with E. coli 0157:H7 bacteria. The Scotland study showed that "clinical severity and outcomes for the children with 026-HUS were worse than for children requiring treatment for 0157-HUS." In addition, the researchers found that … [Read more...]
