AUGUST 19, 2026POSTSCOMMENTS

Minnesota Applebees E. coli Outbreak Fact Sheet

Ten days after the Minnesota Department of Health created a health bulletin about an E. coli O111 outbreak associated with Applebees, there have been no new public pronouncements about the precise cause of the food poisoning episode or whether it spread beyond the state’s borders. To date, here is what Food Poisoning Bulletin has learned … Read more

E. coli Outbreak on Fond du Lac Reservation

E. coli

An E. coli outbreak has sickened between six and 12 members of the Fond du Lac band of Lake Superior Chippewa on the reservation in northeastern MN near Cloquet, about 20 miles west of Duluth. Health authorities say they have not yet determined the food source of the outbreak or the specific bacterial strain. The … Read more

E. coli O111: Harmful Bug in Spotlight at Minnesota Applebees

Gavel

The Applebees E. coli outbreak in Minnesota has prompted a lawsuit and put a well-known but less prevalent type of pathogenic E. coli in the public spotlight this summer. E. coli O111 can be just as virulent as its better-known cousin, E. coli O157:H7, but it makes fewer appearances in outbreaks that are confirmed by … Read more

MN E. coli O111 Applebee’s Outbreak May Have Expanded

Almost 70 Rockwood Summit Students, Parents Sick With E. coli

The E. coli O111 outbreak in Minnesota associated with Applebee’s restaurants may have expanded to two other states, according to NBC News. The CDC has not released any information about this expansion, but is apparently investigating two more cases of the rare bacterial strain. Public health officials will not name the states where people are … Read more

Fred Pritzker on Applebee’s E. coli O111 Outbreak

U of Arkansas E. coli Outbreak Not Linked to Public Dining Facilities

Noted food safety attorney Fred Pritzker, who is representing a young man sickened in the E. coli O111 outbreak associated with food served at Applebee’s restaurants in Minnesota, has some thoughts on the topic. Early reports are that those sickened may have eaten the Oriental Chicken Salad served at the restaurants. That item has been … Read more

Applebee’s E. coli O111 Lawsuit Filed by Law Firm

Gavel

A law firm has filed a lawsuit against Apple Minnesota, LLC, dba Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar on behalf of Keith Comstock. He was diagnosed with an E. coli O111 infection after eating at the Applebee’s restaurant in Woodbury, Minnesota. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. Attorney Fred … Read more

Applebee’s E. coli Lawsuit Was News After All Star Game

E. coli

Television coverage of  baseball’s 2014 Major League All Star Game was immediately followed in the host city of Minneapolis with a news report of the first lawsuit in Minnesota’s Applebee’s E. coli outbreak. E. coli lawyer Fred Pritzker, whose law office overlooks Target Field in the city’s downtown core, was interviewed at length by Fox … Read more

Law Firm Retained in Minnesota E. coli O111 Outbreak

Gavel

A Minneapolis law firm that represents food poisoning clients throughout the country, has been retained in the E. coli O111 outbreak associated with Applebee’s restaurants in the Twin Cities. Keith Comstock, a young man who lives in the area, was sickened after he ate at the Applebee’s restaurant in Woodbury. Noted food safety attorney Fred Pritzker said, “my … Read more

Minnesota E. coli O111 Outbreak Sickens 13

Three Mystery E. coli Outbreaks in Iowa, Kentucky, and Oregon Unsolved

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is investigating 13 cases of E. coli O111.  All of the illnesses were caused by the same genetic strain, as determined by laboratory testing. The ill persons are not related, which indicates the illnesses result from a widely distributed food item. This genetic strain of E. coli O111 has not … Read more