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Michigan and Ohio E.coli Outbreak Linked to Kroger Ground Beef

By Pritzker | Ruohonen

Pritzker | Ruohonen, a leading E. coli litigation law firm, is monitoring the E. coli outbreak in Michigan and Ohio linked to ground beef, at least some of which was purchased at Kroger stores.  People sickened in the outbreak reported purchasing ground beef at Kroger stores.  Morever, according to an Ohio Department of Health press release,  health officials found E. coli with a genetic fingerprint that matched the outbreak strain in a sample of  Kroger ground beef:

A raw ground beef sample provided by an Ohio E. coli O157:H7 case is linked by genetic fingerprinting to the multistate outbreak in Ohio and Michigan. Test results released today verify the E. coli present in the beef sample shares the same genetic fingerprint with the bacteria that has sickened 19 Ohioans in recent weeks. Information submitted with the positive beef sample indicates the product was purchased at the Kroger Marketplace in Gahanna [Ohio].

E.coli in Ohio and 2 cases that are probably linked.  CDC reports 11 confirmed E. coli cases in Michigan.

The Ohio cases involve a number of counties:

• Franklin (nine confirmed, two probable)
• Delaware (one confirmed)
• Fairfield (four confirmed)
• Lucas (one confirmed)
• Seneca (one confirmed)
• Union (one confirmed) cases

Onset of the E.coli cases began at the end of May and continued into early June. fourteen victims of this outbreak have been hospitalized. Of those 14, “One patient has developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS).”

While the E.coli outbreak has only been linked to beef from Kroger, the Ohio Department of Health stressed increased vigilance when handling all foods and has issued guidelines to the public to prevent any further spread of E.coli.  They encourage people to:

• Wash your hands often, especially after using the bathroom or changing diapers, before and after eating or preparing food and after touching animals.
• Cook ground beef to 160° F. Test the meat by putting a food thermometer in the thickest part of the meat. Wash the thermometer after each use. Don’t eat ground beef that is pink in the middle. If a restaurant serves you an undercooked hamburger, send it back for more cooking. Ask for a new bun and a clean plate, too.
• Don’t spread bacteria in your kitchen. Keep raw meat away from other foods. Wash your hands, cutting board, counter, dishes and silverware with hot soapy water after they touch raw meat, spinach, greens or sprouts. Never put cooked meat in a container that held uncooked meat.
• Drink only pasteurized milk, juice or cider. Frozen juice or juice sold in boxes and glass jars at room temperature has been pasteurized, although it may not say so on the label.
• Drink water from safe sources such as municipal water that has been treated with chlorine, wells that have been tested, or bottled water. Do not swallow lake or pool water while swimming.
• Wash all fruits and vegetables prior to eating them.

Full post as published by Food Poisoning Law Blog on June 25, 2008 (boomark / email).