An Earth Grown frozen Falafel E. coli O121 outbreak has sickened at least 20 people in six states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Five people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. A recall for two kinds of that falafel has been issued. These products were sold exclusively at Aldi stores. The patient case count by state is: Florida (2), Iowa (1), Kansas (1), Michigan (11), Ohio (1), and Wisconsin (4). Illness onset dates range from July 13, 2022 to September 13, 2022. The patient age range is from less than one to 71 years. Of 14 people who gave information to investigators, five have been hospitalized. One person developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a type of kidney failure. E. coli O121 one of the Big Six non-O157 … [Read more...]
Alleged Wendy’s E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak Ends With 109 Sick
The alleged Wendy's E. coli O157:H7 outbreak has ended with 109 sick and 52 hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC states that officials were unable to confirm the food source, but 83% of patients interviewed said they ate at a Wendy's fast food restaurant before they got sick. And many of those patients said they ate burgers and sandwiches made with romaine lettuce. The case count by state is: Indiana (11), Kentucky (2), Michigan (67), New York (1), Ohio (24), and Pennsylvania (4). That's an increase of 12 more patients since the last update on September 1, 2022. The actual number of people sickened in this outbreak is likely higher than this number, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states listed. The patient age range … [Read more...]
Do Not Eat Kuntry Gardens Product of Homer, Michigan
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is warning consumers to not eat any Kuntry Gardens produce or products made with produce from Kuntry Gardens of Homer, Michigan. The products may be contaminated with raw, untreated human waste. During a routine produce safety inspection, MDARD staff identified that the company was using raw, untreated human waste on the fields where produce was grown. The produce is sold in local grocery stores and also through direct sale from the farm. The use of raw, untreated human waste for growing commodities intended for human food is a violation of the Michigan Food Law, as well as other state and federal laws and regulations. Human feces and urine can be contaminated with many pathogens, including rotavirus and … [Read more...]
Wendy’s E. coli Outbreak in Ohio Has Sickened 24
The Wendy's E. coli outbreak in Ohio has sickened at least 24 people and has hospitalized six, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Overall, at least 97 people are sick in six states: Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana, and Kentucky. The 24 cases in Ohio are located in these counties: Wood (10), Lucas (4), Lorain (3), Cuyahoga (2), Mahoning (2), Clermont (1), Franklin (1), and Summit (1). The patient age range in that state is from eight to 82 years old. No deaths have been reported. Ten people in this outbreak in all six states have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a complication of this type of infection that affects the kidneys, but the Ohio press release did not mention HUS. While a specific food has not been officially linked to this … [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...]
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...]