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...]
Lake Nokomis E. coli Outbreak Has Sickened 49
The Lake Nokomis E. coli outbreak has now sickened 49 people, including the three confirmed cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in children that were announced earlier this week, according to a news release by the Minnesota Department of Health. That lake is located in Minneapolis. The ill persons are children and adults. About 20% of those sickened are under the age of 10. In all cases, people got sick after swimming at Lake Nokomis between July 16 and August 11, 2019. No one has been hospitalized. Officials said it is not unusual to see an increase in the case count after information about an outbreak has been released. People realize their own illness symptoms may be related to the outbreak. Most of the new cases were identified through a survey the Minnesota … [Read more...]
E. coli Outbreak Closes MN Lake Nokomis Beaches; Three Children Sick
Beaches at Lake Nokomis, which is in Minneapolis, have been closed after three children who swam there around the same time have contracted E. coli infections, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. The bacteria is Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. Officials with the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board closed the beaches immediately after they were notified by MDH. The children got sick between August 2 and August 5, 2019, after swimming at Lake Nokomis between July 26 and August 2, 2019. None of the children have been hospitalized. Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board Superintendent Al Bangoura said in a statement, "This is the first report of people getting ill from swimming in Minneapolis lakes we have had in more than two decades. We take this news very seriously … [Read more...]
Sisseton South Dakota E. coli Outbreak Sickens Eight Children
A Sisseton South Dakota E. coli outbreak has sickened eight children, according to news reports. The South Dakota Department of Health is investigating this outbreak. Some of the patients have been hospitalized, but we don't know how many. We also don't know if any of the children has developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure that is a serious complication of an E. coli infection. Dr. Joshua Clayton, the state epidemiologist, told the Aberdeen News that the source of the pathogen has not been identified. The Department of Health was notified about the outbreak last week by either a physician or a hospital after the first infection was confirmed. And he said that the disease can be spread person-to-person. While some of the patients may have gone to … [Read more...]
Northfork Bison Recalls Bison and Buffalo Burgers in Wake of E. coli Outbreak
Northfork Bison Distributors of St. Leonard, Quebec, Canada, is recalling its Bison Burgers (Buffalo Burgers) and Ground Bison (called Bison Ground) for possible E. coli O121 and O103 contamination. There is an outbreak associated with these recalled products. At least 21 people in 7 states are ill with these infections. The Bison Burgers (Buffalo Burgers) and Ground Bison were distributed across the eastern and central U.S. to institutions and retail outlets. All institutions that have Bison Burgers and Bison Ground in their inventory with the production dates of February 22, 2019 through April 30, 2019, should not serve it to customers, but return it to the distributors. For consumers, the recalled products are Buffalo Burgers (4 x 4 ounce) with expiration dates up to October … [Read more...]
ADM Milling E. coli O26 Flour Outbreak Ends With 21 Sick
The E. coli O26 flour outbreak that was linked to recalled Aldi Baker's Corner, Pillsbury bread, and King Arthur flour has ended with 21 people in 9 states sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Three people were hospitalized. There were no deaths. The case count by state is: California (1), Connecticut (1), Massachusetts (2), Missouri (1), New Jersey (1), New York (7), Ohio (5), Pennsylvania (2), and Rhode Island (1). Illness onset dates ranged from 7 to 86 years. Of 20 people who provided information to investigators, 3 were hospitalized. There were four recalls issued in relation to this outbreak, although no illnesses were linked to some of the products. They were recalled because they were made of the same lot of wheat used at ADM Milling to … [Read more...]
