12 hospitalized in connection with E. coli in beef
Thursday, July 2, 2009 9:59 AM PDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — At least 12 people, two of them suffering kidney failure, have been hospitalized in connection with a possible E. coli outbreak in beef suspected of having sickened people in nine states, federal health officials said Wednesday.
The victims may have become ill after eating beef produced by JBS Swift Beef Co. of Greeley, Colo., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. The number of people reported ill so far is 23.
The company recalled about 380,000 pounds of beef on Sunday after some illnesses were reported and a government investigation showed a possible connection to the company’s product. That recall expanded a June 24 recall of just over 41,000 pounds.
The CDC said health officials in several states investigating the strain of E. coli found that most ill persons had consumed ground beef, and many reported that it was undercooked. Ground beef with the strain of E. coli was obtained from the home of one person infected.
‘’At least some of the illnesses appear to be associated with products subject to these recalls,’’ the CDC said in a statement on its Web site.
The first reported illness began on April 2, according to the CDC, and the last on June 13. Wisconsin and Michigan appear to be the hardest hit by the outbreak so far, with six ill people in each state identified by the CDC.
Other cases were reported in California, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico and New York.
The CDC did not specify the states in which people were hospitalized. The agency said that two of those who fell ill suffered from hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure.
Kidney failure is found in the most severe cases of E.coli. In less serious cases, the potentially deadly bacterium can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration.
The outbreak comes on the heels of a recall of Toll House refrigerated cookie dough products and just before the 4th of July holiday, when many Americans are preparing to grill hamburgers outdoors.
