A professor at the University of Cincinnati is studying hamburger E. coli with a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) grant. The pathogen is E. coli O157:H7, which is sometimes called "hamburger E. coli" because many illnesses are attributed to that food-pathogen combination. And indeed, an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to ground beef sickened 7 people in 2016. Five people were hospitalized because they were so ill. The pathogen is carried in the guts of ruminant animals, such as cows and goats. Those animals do not get sick, but they pass the E. coli bacteria in their feces. That feces can get onto the coat of the animal, and may be spread to the muscle during slaughter. When the beef is ground, the entire batch of hamburger can be contaminated. Shiga … [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...]
2014 Ground Beef E. coli Outbreak was Linked to Whole Foods
An 8-year-old Massachusetts boy died within two weeks of eating a hamburger during an E. coli outbreak last summer that state and federal health authorities associated with grass-fed ground beef the family purchased from Whole Foods Market in South Weymouth, Mass. Two other people were sickened in the outbreak, which was first disclosed in a hamburger E. coli recall notice published by the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The recall also covered ground beef sold at Whole Foods Market in Newton, Mass. A Whole Foods ground beef E. coli lawsuit was filed by the boys' parents. They have gone public with their concerns about food safety to prevent other families from having to endure a similar loss. They met in person with federal Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to … [Read more...]
Report Links Undercooked Burgers, Scotland E. coli Outbreak
A report issued by the Public Health Protection Unit, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde concludes that an E. coli outbreak that sickened 22 people at the SEE Hydro concert earlier this year was caused by undercooked beef burgers. Twenty-two people were sickened with E. coli O157 during this outbreak. Three people were hospitalized. Nineteen of those sickened attended the venue and ate beef burgers; the other three secondary cases were household contacts of those people. The report concludes "there is strong epidemiological evidence pointing to the exposure being the consumption of beef burgers purchased from the Big Grill at the SEE Hydro between January 17 and January 19." There were no other notified cases of E. coli O157 phage type 13 in Scotland at the time of this outbreak. Nineteen … [Read more...]
Lawyer Says Restaurant Responsible for E. coli O157 in Burger
At least 5 people in Michigan have been diagnosed with E. coli O157 after eating undercooked ground beef the last week of April. Three of them were hospitalized because they were so seriously ill. The likely source of this outbreak is undercooked burgers and other menu items. One man told WOODTV that he ate a rare burger about 4 days before getting sick. The incubation period for E. coli is usually three to four days, so the time frame is right. "If a restaurant sells rare burgers, that burger should be safe to eat, free of any dangerous pathogens like E. coli O157," said Fred Pritzker, a lawyer who represents people sickened by E. coli food poisoning. He and his team won a $4.5 million settlement for a client who contracted an E. coli infection from steak sold at a national chain … [Read more...]
The Porch Restaurant E. coli Outbreak Confirmed in Pittsburgh Area
The Porch Restaurant in the Oakland area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is at the center of an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 food poisoning still under investigation by public health officials in the Keystone State. Dr. Karen Hacker, director of the Allegheny County Health Department, said 12 people have been confirmed as case patients in the outbreak while nine others have had "suggestive symptoms'' of toxic E. coli infections. Four of the first five known victims were hospitalized last month, when the outbreak was first detected. Hacker said four more restaurant customers were hospitalized, but that no further cases have been reported since the restaurant was approved to re-open on October 31. In a statement to reporters on Friday, Hacker said investigators have been unable to … [Read more...]
Texas E. coli Outbreak Linked to Ground Beef Served at Brazos County Restaurant
Health officials have linked a Texas E. coli outbreak to ground beef served at a Brazos County restaurant. The name of the restaurant has not been released, so we are asking our readers to send us information. The Brazos County Health Department (BCHD) has confirmed five cases of E. coli. The department investigated five additional cases of illness involving symptoms of E. coli food poisoning, but these cases are still suspected and not yet confirmed. E. coli can cause severe complications, including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). "Control measures have been implemented to prevent further cases including mandatory glove use by employees and continuous monitoring by BCHD," said BCHD in a press release. "The health department should … [Read more...]
