With the HelloFresh ground beef E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in the news, what is the history of ground beef E. coli outbreaks? There have been many in the past, including O157 and non-O157 strains. While E. coli O157:H7 is the most well known strain of this pathogen, the "Big Six" non-O157 strains are also a common cause of human illness. They include O103, O26, O45, O111, O121, and O145. All of these strains produce Shiga toxins, which cause serious illness, so they are called Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). In 2012 the USDA began classifying these serotypes as adulterants. Shiga toxins cause ulcers in the colon, which causes the characteristic bloody diarrhea that happens with this infection. If Shiga toxins get into the bloodstream, they destroy red blood cells, which move … [Read more...]
Some Outbreaks Ended on FDA CORE Outbreak Table
Some outbreaks ended on FDA CORE Outbreak Investigation Table, and some case counts have increased in some of the still active outbreaks. There are no new outbreaks to announce. As usual, there is very little information about each outbreak until the government identifies some action consumers can take, such as discarding food or avoiding a particular restaurant. For the Salmonella Mississippi outbreak (ref# 1097) in a not yet identified product, the case count has increased from 99 to 100 cases. For the Salmonella Senftenberg outbreak (ref# 1087) in a not yet identified food, the case count has increased from 22 to 27 cases. For the mystery Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak (ref# 1095), the case count has increased from 73 to 78 cases. For the Cyclospora outbreak (ref# 1080) … [Read more...]
Possible E. coli Outbreak at San Diego State University
A possible E. coli outbreak at San Diego State University (SDSU) in San Diego, California has sickened two students, according to the university's Student Health Services. That agency is working with the San Diego County Health and Human Services to try to identify the cause of the illnesses. The pathogen is suspected to be Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), which produces toxins that can cause serious illness. On September 6, 2022, the university notified their community that the two illnesses had been diagnosed. One student lives at the university and one is non-residential. The students started getting sick on August 27 and August 29, 2022. A specific food source has not been identified in either of the cases. No faculty or staff has been sickened so far. Students can call … [Read more...]
Wendy’s Romaine E. coli Outbreak Case Count Rises to 97
The Wendy's romaine E. coli outbreak case count has risen to include at least 97 sick in six states, with 43 hospitalized. Ten people are suffering from hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That is an increase of 13 new illnesses, five new hospitalizations, two more with HUS, and two new states: New York and Kentucky. The patient case count by state is: Indiana (11), Kentucky (1), Michigan (58), New York (1), Ohio (24), and Pennsylvania (2). Illness onset dates range from July 25, 2022 to August 15, 2022. The patient age range is from 3 to 94 years. Of 81 people who gave information about their health to investigators, 43, or 53%, have been hospitalized, which is a very high hospitalization … [Read more...]
Michigan Hardest Hit in Wendy’s Romaine Lettuce E. coli Outbreak
Michigan hardest hit in Wendy's romaine lettuce E. coli O157:H7 outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Michigan Department of Health, with at least 53 sick and 31 hospitalized. And eight of those patients have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a type of kidney failure. The number of people sickened in that state has changed dramatically in the past two weeks. On August 16, 2022, a press release from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said there were 98 cases of E. coli in three counties in that state, with "some" of the cases linked to each other. That compares to just 20 cases in the same time period in 2021. On August 19, 2022, another press release stated that there were 43 cases of Shiga … [Read more...]
Now 84 Sick in Wendy’s E. coli Romaine Lettuce Outbreak
Now there are 84 sick in Wendy's E. coli romaine lettuce outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There are 38 people who have been hospitalized, and eight people have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure that is a complication of this type of illness. That is a huge increase or 47 more illnesses from 37 official illnesses just one week ago. The case count by state is: Indiana (6), Michigan (53), Ohio (23), and Pennsylvania (2). Illness onset dates range from July 26, 2022 to August 9, 2022. The patient age range is from 5 to 94 years. Of 73 people who gave information to investigator4s, 38 have been hospitalized, for a hospitalization rate of 52%. Eight people who live in Michigan have developed hemolytic uremic … [Read more...]
E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak in King County, Washington Sickens 7
An E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in King County, Washington state has sickened at least seven people, according to the King County Department of Public Health. The notice stated that "at this time, this outbreak does not appear to be related to a multistate outbreak initially found in at least four different states." Four people have been hospitalized, and three children have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a type of kidney failure. Six of the patients have recovered, and one is currently recovering. The patient age range is from 11 months to 35 years. Five cases are among children under the age of 15. The illness onset date is from December 31, 2021 to August 18 2022, with six of the cases reported since June 26, 2022. Six of the seven patients had illness onset … [Read more...]
FDA CORE Outbreak Investigation Table Updated
The FDA CORE Outbreak Investigation Table updated with more information about the current outbreaks, including two cyclospora outbreaks, one E. coli O157:H7 outbreak, and two new Salmonella outbreaks. Case counts have been adjusted. The investigation into the Daily Harvest French Lentils outbreak has not advanced. For the cyclospora outbreaks, cases from one outbreak have been "re-grouped" into the other outbreak based on genomic data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One outbreak increased from 6 cases to 70, and the other case count was adjusted downward from 98 to 41. This means that the government has more ability to identify the gene sequences in cyclospora oocysts than in previous outbreaks. For the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in a "not yet identified … [Read more...]
Ohio Wendy’s E. coli Outbreak Grows to 19 Sick, Four Hospitalized
The Ohio Wendy's E. coli outbreak has grown to include 19 people sick with four in the hospital, according to the Ohio Department of Health. There is no mention of any patient with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a type of kidney failure that is a complication of this type of infection. That is an increase of three patients since the last update from Wood county on August 15, 2022. And the number of counties included in the case count have expanded. The patient case count by county is: Wood (7), Lorain (3), Cuyahoga (2), Lucas (2), Mahoning (2), Clermont (1), Franklin (1), and Summit (1). The paitent age range is from 8 to 82 years. There are 11 males and eight females. Four people have been hospitalized. Romaine lettuce served on Wendy's burgers and sandwiches has been … [Read more...]
Wendy’s Michigan E. coli Outbreak Grows to 43 Sick, 24 in Hospital
The Wendy's Michigan E. coli outbreak has grown to include 43 people sickened and at least 24 hospitalized. Four people have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure that is a complication of this infection. The CDC total for the state is currently just 15, so this is a dramatic case count increase. The case count includes patients from these counties: Allegan, Branch, Clinton, Genesee, Gratiot, Jackson, Kent, Macomb, Midland, Monroe, Muskegon, Oakland, Ogemaw, Ottawa, Saginaw, Washtenaw, and Wayne. The city of Detroit is also included. The patient age range is from 6 to 94 years. Dr. Alexis Travis, senior deputy director of public health administration at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said in as statement, "We are reminding … [Read more...]
