In the Seattle E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least seven children, officials now think that some type of produce is the source of the pathogen, according to Seattle King County Public Health. The case count has not changed. All cases are under the age of 15, with three under the age of five. Officials have identified "multiple types of fresh produce, mostly organic," in most of the cases but they cannot as of yet rule out other possibilities of the source of the illnesses. The notice states, "We are still uncertain if these cases share the same source of their infection or not." All of the children have symptoms consistent with a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infection, which include abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that is often bloody. Two … [Read more...]
Home Treated Flour May Not Be Safe Says Purdue Researcher
The risks of uncooked flour have been well documented through studies and food poisoning outbreaks linked to that ingredient. But many recipes, especially older ones, call for using flour that is not cooked. To be able to make these recipes without the risk of food poisoning, many sites have been advocating that home cooks treat their own flour. But a Purdue researcher says that home treated flour may not be safe after all. The typical "recipe" for treating raw flour at home is to spread it on a pan and microwave it or bake it in the oven until it reaches 160°F, the temperature at which E. coli and other pathogens are destroyed. Purdue food scientist Yoahua "Betty" Feng states that those treatments are not guaranteed to make the flour safe. She says that while heating meats or … [Read more...]
CDC Investigation of E. coli Outbreak Unknown Source 1 Ends
The FDA and CDC have announced that they have completed their investigation into two mystery E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks. Here we focus on the investigation into E. coli Outbreak Unknown Source 1. This outbreak is different from Unknown Source 2 and Unknown Source 3. And this outbreak is the number eight multistate outbreak of 2020 in terms of numbers of people sickened. The first completed investigation was into Outbreak Unknown Source 1, which has sickened 32 people in 12 states. The case count by state is: California (10), Illinois (3), Louisiana (1), Maryland (1), Michigan (2), Montana (2), New Jersey (1), Ohio (7), Utah (1), Virginia (1), Washington (1), and Wisconsin (2). Fifteen people were hospitalized because they were so sick, and one person who lived in Michigan died. One … [Read more...]
E. coli Outbreak at Acapulco Mexican Restaurant in Andover, MN
An E. coli outbreak at the Acapulco Mexican Restaurant in Andover, Minnesota has been confirmed by Doug Schultz, Information and Communications Officer for the Minnesota Department of Health. He said, "We are investigating a cluster of STEC cases that ate at the Andover location." That restaurant is located at 13753 Ibis St NW in Andover. The last time an ill person ate at that restaurant was in mid-August, 2019. The Minnesota Health Department does not consider this outbreak to be an ongoing situation. Dana Eikmeier, the epidemiologist working on this outbreak, told us that three adults were sickened. One was hospitalized, and no one developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). She also said it's likely that the DOH won't find the suspect food, since the case count was so … [Read more...]
Philadelphia E. coli Outbreak Grows to 19 Sick; No Source Found
The Philadelphia E. coli outbreak has grown to include 19 ill persons. James Garrow of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health updated Food Poisoning Bulletin in an email. The Department cannot confirm whether or not anyone has been hospitalized. The case count is accurate as of September 6, 2019. Public health officials continue investigating the source of the pathogen. The Health Alert stated that restaurants may be involved in this outbreak, but no specific restaurants have been named yet. The outbreak was originally reported on September 5, 2019. The age range of patients at that time was 7 to 90. This age range may have changed; but we don't know for sure. E. coli outbreaks in restaurants are not common, and most often are labeled "associated with" or "possible." … [Read more...]
MN State Fair E. coli Outbreak: Are These Outbreaks Common?
With the announcement yesterday of the MN State Fair E. coli outbreak that has sickened 11 people and hospitalized six, we were wondering how many other state and county fairs have had these serious outbreaks. Are these E. coli. outbreaks common at local, county, and state fairs? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. There have been quite a few E. coli outbreaks at state and county fairs over the years, and some have been deadly. These are the state and county fair outbreaks that have occurred since 2012: In 2012, a huge E. coli outbreak linked to the Cleveland County Fair in North Carolina sickened 106 people, including 65 children. Thirteen people were hospitalized in that outbreak, and one child died. Fair organizers banned petting zoos at the event after this outbreak. In … [Read more...]
Northfork Bison E. coli Outbreak Ends With 33 Sick
The Northfork Bison E. coli outbreak has ended with 33 people sick in 8 states, according to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Eighteen people were hospitalized because they were so sick, and there were no deaths reported. The pathogens in this outbreak that made people sick were E. coli O103 and E. coli O121. The case count by state is: Connecticut (2), Florida (a6), Illinois (1), Michigan (1), Missouri (1), New Jersey (3), New York (14), and Pennsylvania (5). No cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure, were reported. Illness onset dates ranged from March 18, 2019 to August 11, 2019. The patient age range was from 6 to 80 years. Northfork Bison Distributions recalled its ground bison, called Bison Ground, and its ground bison … [Read more...]
Two More Illnesses in Philadelphia E. coli Outbreak Brings Total to 16
The Philadelphia E. coli outbreak has now sickened two more people, according to news reports. There are now 16 people sickened in that outbreak, which officials think is linked to restaurants in the area. However, officials are not releasing the names of restaurants they think are involved in this outbreak. James Garrow, spokesperson for the health department, said in a statement, "The Health Department's investigation, like all foodborne illness investigations, takes time. This a wide-ranging investigation that asks very sick people to list every single thing that they’ve eaten or drank, at the level of every individual ingredient, during the period when they were exposed to the bug. This generates a massive list of possible items and locations that may have been the … [Read more...]
Philadelphia E. coli Outbreak Sickens At Least 14
A Philadelphia E. coli outbreak has sickened at least 14 people, according to a Health Alert issued by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. Public health officials "have identified a few shared restaurant exposures," in their ongoing case investigation, but no one restaurant or food has been named so far. In the past, E. coli outbreaks have been linked to ground beef, flour, animals at county fairs, raw milk, and lettuce. Just about any food can be contaminated with this pathogen through cross-contamination. The source of E. coli is typically found in the guts of ruminant animals such as cows and goats and is shed in their feces. Person-to-person transmission is also possible because the infectious does is small; just 10 bacteria. The patient age range in this outbreak … [Read more...]
Now 69 Sick With E. coli After Swimming at Lake Nokomis
Now 69 people have been diagnosed with E. coli infections after swimming at Minneapolis's Lake Nokomis, according to news reports. That's an increase of 20 more cases since the last report by the Minnesota Department of Health on August 16, 2019. Minnesota officials did say they thought the case count would increase because when they released information about this outbreak, more people would recognize their symptoms, see a doctor, and be tested for the pathogen. E. coli is a reportable illness. All of the patients got sick after they swam at the lake between July 16 and August 11, 2019. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board said that the Lake Nokomis beaches will be closed for the rest of the season. In addition, nearby Wirth Beach has had to close. That is the fourth … [Read more...]
