The ground beef E. coli O103 outbreak has now sickened at least 196 people in 10 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Twenty-eight people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. Two people have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). No one has died. That's an addition of 19 more ill persons since the last update on April 26, 2019. The patient case count by state is: Florida (5), Georgia (49), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Kentucky (69), Minnesota (1), Mississippi (1), Ohio (12), Tennessee (55), and Virginia (2). The patient age range is from less than 1 year to 84 years, with a median age of 19. The hospitalization rate is 16%. The outbreak notice states that "Ill people in this outbreak ate ground beef from many sources. Some … [Read more...]
Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee Hit Hardest in Ground Beef E. coli O103 Outbreak
Consumers in Kentucky, Georgia, and Tennessee have been hit hardest in the ground beef E. coli O103 outbreak that has sickened at least 177 people in 10 states. Those states alone have 158 sickened in this outbreak. According to CDC and FDA reports, no one has developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure, in this outbreak, and no one has died. But 21 people have been hospitalized because their illness is so severe. There have been two recalls of ground beef associated with this outbreak, although the CDC report states that there is no one business or brand that can account for all of the illnesses in this outbreak. K2D Foods recalled 113,424 pounds of raw ground beef products for possible E. coli O103 contamination on April 24, 2019. And Grant Park Packing … [Read more...]
Ground Beef E. coli O103 Outbreak Sickens 177 in 10 States
The ground beef E. coli O103 outbreak has now sickened 177 people in 10 states, with 21 hospitalized, according to the latest update provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The government has named two companies that have recalled their raw ground beef for E. coli O103 contamination in the last few days - Grant Park Packing on April 24, and K2D Foods on April 23, 2019. The outbreak notice states that "Restaurants, retailers, and institutions should not sell or serve the following recalled ground beef products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O103 and could make people sick." More recalls will likely be announced, since the notice also states that "At this time, no common supplier, distributor, or brand of ground beef has been identified that … [Read more...]
North Star Imports Ground Beef Recalled For E. coli O103 Contamination
Grant Park Packing of Franklin, Illinois is recalling about 53,200 pounds of North Star Imports raw ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O103. The USDA notice states that "Further testing is ongoing to determine if the recalled ground beef products are related to the E. coli O103 outbreak." That outbreak has sickened at least 156 people in 10 states. The bulk raw ground beef was produced on October 30 - 31, 2018, and November 1, 2018. The recalled product is 40-pound bulk cardboard boxes of "North Star Imports & Sales, LLC. 100% ground beef bulk 80% lean 20% fat" marked "For Institutional Use Only." The product has the lot code GP.1051.18 and pack dates 10/30/2018, 10/31/2018, and 11/01/2018. The ground beef has the establishment number "EST. 21781" inside … [Read more...]
Pritzker Hageman Files First Lawsuit in Ground Beef E. coli O103 Outbreak
Pritzker Hageman has filed the first lawsuit today in the E. coli O103 outbreak linked to ground beef. The lawsuit, case number 6:19-cv-00106-REW, is against K2D, a company that produces ground beef under the name Colorado Premium Foods. The plaintiff lives in Kentucky, the state hardest hit in the outbreak that was announced in March 2019. There are at least 156 people sick in this outbreak. The case count by state as of April 23, 2019 is: Florida (3), Georgia (33), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Kentucky (65), Minnesota (1), Mississippi (1), and Ohio (8), Tennessee (41), and Virginia (2). E coli O103 is an adulterant in non-intact beef, including ground beef. It is part of the "Big Six" group of non-O157 E. coli bacteria that the USDA classified as adulterants in 2012. Ground … [Read more...]
K2D Foods Recalls Ground Beef For E. coli O103 Contamination; No “Definitive” Link to Outbreak
K2D Foods, doing business as Colorado Premium Foods of Carrolton, Georgia, is recalling 113,424 pounds of raw ground beef products for possible E. coli O103 contamination. There is an unsolved ongoing E. coli O103 outbreak that is linked to ground beef, but the recall notice states, "Further testing is ongoing to determine if the recalled ground beef products are related to the E. coli O103 outbreak." These items were produced on March 26, March 29, April 2, April 5, April 10, and April 12, 2019. The recalled product is two 24-pound vacuum-packed packages in cardboard boxes containing raw "GROUND BEEF PUCK." The "Use Thru" dates on the product are 4/14/19, 4/17/19, 4/20/19, 4/23/19, 4/28/19, and 4/30/19. These products have the establishment number "EST. 51308" inside the USDA mark … [Read more...]
Ground Beef E. coli O103 Outbreak: Now 156 Sick in 10 States
The ground beef E. coli O103 outbreak has now sickened at least 156 people in 10 states. according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Twenty people are hospitalized because they are so ill. UPDATE: K2D Foods has recalled more than 100,000 pounds of ground beef for possible E. coli O103 contamination. But the recall notice states that "At this time, there is no definitive link between this positive product and the ongoing E. coli O103 outbreak." That's an increase of 47 more patients since the last update on April 12, 2019. The states that are added to the outbreak are Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, and Mississippi. Food Poisoning Bulletin told you about the increase in cases in Georgia and Kentucky yesterday. But the Georgia outbreak has grown by even more … [Read more...]
Kentucky E. coli O103 Outbreak Case Count Stands at 65, 8 Hospitalized
The Kentucky E. coli O103 outbreak that is linked to ground beef is now at 65 confirmed cases. Eight people have been hospitalized, and none have developed HUS. Barbara Fox, Public Information Officer for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services in that state gave this information to Food Poisoning Bulletin. This outbreak started in Kentucky, when public health officials found that 20 people were sick with the same strain of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli bacteria in late March 2019. The outbreak has grown by leaps and bounds. With information we now have, we know that at least 131 people in 6 states are sick. The case count by state is: Indiana (1), Georgia (27), Kentucky (65), Ohio (7), Tennessee (28), and Virginia (2). The patient age range is from less than 1 to 83, but the … [Read more...]
Georgia E. coli O103 Outbreak: 27 Are Now Sick
The Georgia E. coli O103 outbreak that is linked to ground beef has now sickened 27 people, Nancy Nydam of the Georgia Department of Public Health told Food Poisoning Bulletin. That is an increase of 10 cases since the last update by the CDC, which released on April 12, 2019. The press release about this outbreak issued by Georgia is from 12 days ago, and only lists 17 illness. Three people in Georgia are hospitalized. No one has developed HUS, and there are no deaths. This outbreak began with patients diagnosed in Kentucky in late March 2019, and has grown explosively over the past few weeks. Originally, 20 people were diagnosed in Kentucky, with a few in other states. When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention got involved, the cases jumped up to 109. At first, the … [Read more...]
Lawyer Asks: Why Are There Ground Beef E. coli Outbreaks?
One April, 2019 morning, amidst the ongoing ground beef E. coli O103 outbreak affecting much of the east-central United States, one of the attorneys on the foodborne illness team at the Pritzker Hageman law firm began her weekly meal preparation ritual. She went to her freezer and grabbed two pounds of frozen ground beef, defrosted it, and put it in a frying pan to brown. She has said her family of four goes through so much ground beef that she regularly fill my freezer with a “quarter of beef” raised by her father and processed by a local butcher shop. Her family "lives on it". In the U.S., a family’s subsistence on ground beef is not uncommon. For 2018, Americans were projected to eat 222.2 pounds of meat and poultry, each. According to the self-proclaimed “best information … [Read more...]
