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...]
Wolverine Ground Beef E. coli Outbreak Sickened 12 in 2014
An E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to ground beef produced by Wolverine Packing Company in 2014 sickened 12 people in 4 states. Ground beef can be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria since STEC bacteria like E. coli are on the surface of beef cuts. When those cuts are ground, the bacteria is mixed throughout the product. And when that ground beef is made into burgers and not thoroughly cooked, people get sick. The case count by state is: Massachusetts (1), Michigan (5), Missouri (1), and Ohio (5). Fifty eight percent of ill persons were hospitalized. No one developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and no deaths were reported. Illness dates ranged from April 22, 2014 to May 2, 2014. The patient age range was from 16 to 46 years, with a median age of 25 years. Public health … [Read more...]
Reason Number #356 to Avoid Rare Burgers: E. coli Outbreak
Many people love rare hamburgers, but unfortunately that love can be harmful. Ground beef is made of trimmings and whole beef cuts that are ground together. Bacteria present on the surface of the whole beef cuts is mixed throughout the product during this process. That means that there could, and most likely will be, pathogenic bacteria in every bite of an undercooked burger. The E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to recalled Wolverine Packing Company ground beef sickened 12 people in 4 states last year. Fifty-eight percent of those sickened were hospitalized. Investigations by public health officials found that ground beef produced by the Wolverine facility was the likely source of the outbreak strain of bacteria. Hidden in the report, however, is that 73% of the 11 patients … [Read more...]
Wolverine E. coli Lawsuit Filed in Hamburger Outbreak
An E. coli lawsuit has been filed in the Wolverine hamburger outbreak that struck restaurant-goers in Michigan and Ohio before investigators traced it to batches of ground beef supplied by Wolverine Packing Company of Michigan. The litigation claims made in Kalamzoo County Circuit Court relate to a young Michigan woman who was one of several people hospitalized in April and May 2014. "Epidemiologic and traceback investigations indicated that contaminated ground beef produced by Wolverine was the likely source of this outbreak,'' said the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. Additional confirmation of the outbreak came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) after the agency interviewed suspected victims and confirmed a dozen case patients, including five in Ohio … [Read more...]
Wolverine Ground Beef E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak Over
The CDC has declared that the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to ground beef produced by Wolverine Packing Company appears to be over. In total, 12 people in 4 states were sickened in this outbreak. Seven (58% of the outbreak total) of ill persons were hospitalized; no one developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and no deaths were reported. Epidemiologic and traceback investigations indicated that contaminated ground beef produced by Wolverine was the likely source of this outbreak. The beef was distributed to retailers and restaurants nationwide. In interviews, 11 of the 12 persons stated they ate ground beef prepared as a hamburger served at a restaurant before becoming ill. Findings of multiple traceback investigations of the ground beef used at restaurants where the ill … [Read more...]
Researchers Fight STEC E. coli on Beef
Researchers from the department of animal science at Texas A&M Univeristy and Texas A&M AgriLife Research are focusing on ways to inhibit the growth of STEC E. coli on beef. The Shiga-toxin E. coli bacteria cause 230,000 cases of illness every year in the U.S., when beef is not handled properly and is not cooked to a minimum temperature of 160°F. That beef, when it is not cooked properly or deliberately undercooked, also causes more than 2,000 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) every year, a life-threatening complication of a STEC infection that can lead to kidney failure and death. Such is the case with the ongoing E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in Michigan, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Missouri, where undercooked hamburger is linked with the illness of 11 people, six of whom have … [Read more...]
