We've said it before and we'll say it again: don't eat undercooked burgers. Every year in this country, E. coli infections cause about 265,000 illnesses and about 100 deaths. And the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in Michigan that is associated with undercooked ground beef served in restaurants, most likely as rare burgers, is a case in point. Rare hamburgers are a risk factor for E. coli O157:H7, which can be the worst type of food poisoning you can get. Ground beef is far and away the largest culprit for carrying E. coli bacteria. An intact piece of meat has bacteria only on the surface. When that piece of meat is ground, bacteria are spread all through it. That is why hamburger must not be eaten unless it's cooked to well done, or 160°F The E. coli O157:H7 bacteria can lead to hemolytic … [Read more...]
Lettuce was Likely Cause of Federico’s E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak
In a new report, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) says lettuce was the likely cause of an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak at Federico's Mexican Food restaurant last summer. Ninety-four people were sickened in that outbreak. Two patients developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication of a STEC infection that damages the kidneys and can cause kidney failure, seizures, strokes, and death. People who ate at the restaurant were sickened between July 18 and July 30, 2013. MCDPH was contacted about a potential cluster of cases with bloody diarrhea on July 30, 2013. Many of the patient's family members said that the only shared meal was at Federico's Mexican Restaurant at 13132 W. Camelback Road in Litchfield Park, AZ. Preliminary results from restaurant … [Read more...]
FDA, USDA Update Retail List for Recalled E. coli Salads, Wraps
The USDA and FDA have issued an updated retail list of stores that sold the Glass Onion Catering chicken and ham salads and wraps that have been recalled for possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination. There is an outbreak associated with this recall. As of November 21, 2013, there are 32 people ill in 4 states. The recalled products were sold in Trader Joe's stores in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington state. The outbreak is linked to two Trader Joe's salads. Walgreens stores sold the salad in northern California, as did Whole Food stores. Look through the long list carefully. It mentions retailers, the street address, and city by name. All of the remaining stores are in California. Some of the stores that carried the products include Quik Stop, … [Read more...]
McBee Dairy Farm in TN Linked to E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak
The Tennessee Department of Health has announced that the strain of E. coli O157:H7 that sickened nine children has been matched to animal waste collected at the McBee dairy farm in Mascot, Tennessee that produced the milk. This is a DNA match that proves that the pathogenic bacteria that made the children sick came from the farm. Five of the nine children sickened in this outbreak were hospitalized. Three of them developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication of a shiga toxin-producting E. coli bacteria that can cause kidney failure, strokes, seizures, and death. The investigation conducted by public health officials included an on-site inspection of the farm, interviews of the 88 households that purchased milk from the farm, and lab analysis of milk and other … [Read more...]
Outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 Infections Linked to Trader Joe’s Salads
The CDC has updated its investigation of the multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O15:H7 infections linked to ready-to-eat salads. As of November 10, 2013, 26 people in 3 states are ill with the outbreak strain of the bacteria. The patient case count is: Arizona (1), California (22), and Washington state (3). Six, or 28%, of ill persons have been hospitalized. Two people have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). No deaths have been reported. The PFGE pattern in this outbreak is new to the PulseNet database. Epidemiologic and traceback investigations conducted by public health officials have found that two ready-to-eat salads produced by Glass Onion Catering and sold at Trader's Joe's grocery stores are one likely source of the pathogenic bacteria. The salads … [Read more...]
Chicken Salad and Wraps Recalled After E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak
Glass Onion Catering of California is recalling 181,620 pounds of ready-to-eat salads and sandwich wrap products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. A cluster of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses was reported beginning on October 29, 2013. FDA notified USDA on November 6, 2013 that authorities in California reported ill persons who consumed packaged salads made with grilled fully cooked chicken. The products were sold under the brand names Trader Joe's, Delish, Atherstone Fine Foods, Super Fresh Foods, and Lunch Spot. The California Department of Public Health, the Washington State Department of Health, and the Arizona Department of Health Services along with FSIS found there is a link between the grilled chicken salads and the sick people. Twenty-six people in three states are sick … [Read more...]
E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak at The Porch Restaurant in Oakland, PA
The Allegheny County Health Department is announcing that there are several cases of E. coli O157:H7 illness among employees and customers of The Porch restaurant in Oakland, Pennsylvania. Health care providers are asked to test patients if they present with bloody diarrhea or other symptoms of this infection. Five people have been diagnosed with E. coli O157:H7 infections since October 1, 2013, and four of those people were hospitalized for that illness. All are recovering. Dr. Karen Hacker, Health Director of the Department, said in a statement, "we're urging health care providers to test for E. coli to see if there are any additional cases linked to this outbreak so we can stop further transmission of the disease." E. coli is spread through contaminated food, and it can be spread … [Read more...]
Federico’s E. Coli Outbreak Case Count Grows to 79
The E. coli O157:H7 outbreak at Federico's Mexican Restaurant in Litchfield Park, Arizona has now grown to include 79 people. At least 23 people have been hospitalized in this outbreak. This is now the largest E. coli outbreak in the United States in years. In 2009, 77 people were sickened after eating contaminated raw refrigerated prepared cookie dough. All of those sickened in this outbreak ate at the restaurant between July 18 and July 30, 2013. Officials believe that the outbreak may be over, but the exact cause of the contamination has not yet been determined. At least two people have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe complication of an E. coli O157:H7 infection that can destroy the kidneys. Symptoms of an E. coli infection include severe stomach cramps, … [Read more...]
Food Poisoning at Federico’s is Largest U.S. E. coli Outbreak in Years
The recent burst of food poisoning cases from a single Federico's restaurant west of Phoenix has eclipsed the Farm Rich frozen food outbreak as the biggest toxic E. coli outbreak of 2013 and is among the largest domestic E. coli outbreaks of the past few years, according to E. coli information kept by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Public health officials have had to go back to 2011 to find an E. coli outbreak with nearly as many confirmed case patients as the 68 people counted as victims in the current spread of E. coli illnesses in Arizona. The Federico's outbreak was first announced on August 2 when the Maricopa County Departments of Public Health and Environmental Services collaborated with the Arizona Department of Health Services on a press release alerting … [Read more...]
Federico’s E. coli Lawsuit Challenges Restaurant On Food Safety
What began as a single Federico's E. coli lawsuit has now progressed into a set of legal complaints on behalf of three restaurant customers, with more victims waiting in the wings to join the litigation. Even if your injuries were not life-threatening, you could still make a substantial recovery in consideration for pain, suffering, medical bills and other associated losses linked to contaminated food at the Mexican-style restaurant in the West Valley area of Litchfield Park, Arizona. Maricopa County officials have completed their inspection of the restaurant at 13132 West Camelback and the facility has reopened for business. The latest preliminary count of people sickened in the outbreak is 68, including 23 who were hospitalized for HUS and other complications. The local health … [Read more...]
