The ground beef E. coli O103 outbreak has ended with 209 people sick in 10 states and 29 hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Two people developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. The outbreak notice states that ill people in this outbreak ate ground beef from many sources. No single source of contamination was identified. But two processors did recall ground beef that may have been contaminated with E. coli O103. The case count by state is: Florida (5), Georgia (51), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Kentucky (76), Minnesota (1), Mississippi (1), Ohio (12), Tennessee (59), and Virginia (2). Illness onset dates range from March 1, 2019 to May 1, 2019. The patient age range was less than 1 year to 84 years. Two … [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...]
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...]
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...]
Is Ground Beef the Kentucky E. coli O103 Outbreak Culprit?
The E. coli O103 outbreak in Kentucky is rare because this pathogen doesn't cause many illnesses in the United States. But at least 46 people in Kentucky and more in four other states are sick; and officials don't know what caused this outbreak. They may have narrowed down the possibilities. Is ground beef the Kentucky E. coli O103 outbreak culprit? News outlets have stated that officials are looking at ground beef, as well as chicken and American cheese; however, no officials have confirmed this information. Testing is ongoing, and may take a few days or a few weeks to complete. Contaminated ground beef has been the cause for E. coli outbreaks for many years, including the outbreak last year that was linked to Adams Farm Slaughterhouse, and ground beef produced by PT Farm in New … [Read more...]
History of E. coli Outbreaks Linked to Ground Beef
E. coli outbreaks have a long history in the United States. This pathogen is typically associated with beef; in fact, a 2015 study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the USDA found that beef is the source of most E. coli outbreaks. Of the 952 outbreaks during the 14 year period that was studied, 170 were caused by E. coli; of those, 97 were caused by beef. Most of these outbreaks have been caused by E. coli O157:H7. But others have been linked to O26 or O103. Sometimes, the specific serotype is not named by public health officials. The history of E. coli outbreaks linked to ground beef and ground beef products in the United States include: E. coli O26 outbreak linked to Cargill Meat Solutions ground beef in 2018 sickened at least 18 people in 4 … [Read more...]
E. coli O157:H7 in Ground Beef Likely Source of Outbreak in CT, MA, PA and WV
An outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections has been linked to ground beef produced by Adams Farm Slaughterhouse in Athol, Massachusetts, according to the CDC. To date, there are seven confirmed case patients from four states: Connecticut (2), Massachusetts (3), Pennsylvania (1) and West Virginia (1). Five of the seven people sickened were interviewed and answered questions about the foods they ate in the week before they had symptoms of E. coli poisoning. All five of them reported eating ground beef in the week before they became ill. Health officials conducted traceback investigations, which indicated that ill people ate ground beef which had been produced by Adams Farm Slaughterhouse. The Connecticut Department of Public Health collected leftover ground beef from the home of one … [Read more...]
Toledo Was a Hub in the 2014 Wolverine Beef E. coli Outbreak
Toledo E. coli cases from Wolverine ground beef accounted for more than half of Ohio's confirmed illnesses in the 2014 outbreak that also hit Michigan and other states. The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department confirmed three cases, including two people who ate at the same restaurant. The local health agency investigated a fourth instance of E. coli infection at the time of the outbreak, but it was determined not to be associated with the particular outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 that was making other people sick. In all, Ohio recorded five illnesses traced to ground beef from Detroit's Wolverine Packing Company, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. The Toledo case patients were ages 19, 23 and 42 and at least two of them were hospitalized. Two of the three … [Read more...]
Largest Multistate Food Poisoning Outbreak of 2014: #7
A four-state E. coli outbreak linked to ground beef produced by Wolverine Packing Co. of Detroit was the seventh-largest multistate food poisoning outbreak of 2014. Twelve people were sickened and six were hospitalized but none developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the life-threatening complication of E. coli infections that causes kidney failure. The outbreak sickened five people in Michigan, four in Ohio, 1 in Missouri and 1 in Massachusetts. All of the illnesses were linked to restaurant meals. Wolverine recalled almost 2 million pounds of ground beef products. The 97-page list of ground beef products recalled, did not include restaurant names. The case patients in this outbreak first became symptomatic between April 22, 2014 to May 2, 2014. They range in age from 19 years … [Read more...]
Study Finds Non-O157 STEC Bacteria in U.S. Cattle
A study published in the Journal of Food Protection has found shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) bacteria in ground beef sold in the U.S. at the retail level. Cattle are reservoirs for E. coli O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157. Those bacteria can cause serious illness and death in humans. STEC bacteria were declared adulterants in ground beef by the USDA last year. This study estimates the prevalence of non-O157 STEC and E. coli O157 in naturally infected beef cows at post-weaning, finishing, and at slaughter. The study also tested STEC presence in finished ground beef. They found non-O157 STEC in 8 to 39% of cows and 2 to 38% of steer calves. These findings are evidence that beef cows and steer calves shed non-O17 STEC bacteria at post-weaning and before they go into the … [Read more...]
