E. coli Blog - Surveillance & analysis on e. coli news & outbreaks

A Tenino dairy says it’s recalling its fluid raw milk products because of the danger of contamination with potentially harmful E. coli bacteria.

Frisia Dairy and Creamery distributes unpasteurized whole and skim milk and cream through sales outlets in Lewis, Thurston and Pierce counties and through the farm itself.

There have been no reported illnesses related to the recalled products, the dairy said.

The dairy initiated the voluntary recall after a test by the Washington State Department of Agriculture in a routine sampling found E.coli bacteria in a skim milk sample.

The dairy said it and the agriculture department are continuing an investigation into the source of the contamination. No other samples were found to contain that bacteria.

Toxin-producing E. coli infections may cause severe diarrhea, stomach cramps and bloody stool. Symptoms generally appear three to four days after exposure, but can take as long as nine days to appear.

Anyone experiencing these symptoms should contact a health care provider, the dairy advised.

The infection sometimes causes hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious disease in which red blood cells are destroyed and the kidneys fail.  Infants, children, pregnant women, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems are especially at risk.

The milk products are sold in pint, half-gallon, and gallon containers. Recalled fluid raw milk products were sold from the on-farm location at 4800 Skookumchuck Rd SE, Tenino and from the following locations:

Olympia Food Co-op, 3111 Pacific Ave. Olympia

Yelm Co-op, 404 First St. Yelm

Mt. Community Co-op, 105 Carter St. Eatonville

Shop-N-Kart, 2100 N. National Ave. Chehalis

Olympia Food Co-op, 921 Rogers Olympia

Olympia Local Foods, 2442 Mottman Road SW Tumwater

Baily’s IGA, 10333 Hwy 12 SW Rochester

Tenino IGA, 669 Lincoln Ave. Tenino

Another E. coli lawsuit will be filed today against grocery chain Schnucks Supermarkets and Oklahoma-based romaine lettuce distributor Vaughan Foods. According to a complaint filed in St. Louis County Circuit Court, 61-year old Charles Meyer ate romaine lettuce from a Cool Valley, Missouri Schnucks location on several occasions prior to October 24, 2011 when he began experiencing painful gastrointestinal symptoms indicative of an E. coli infection including bloody diarrhea. The symptoms persisted and Mr. Meyer visited the doctor’s office on October 26 where he was diagnosed with food poisoning and sent to the emergency room for treatment. While in the ER, Mr. Meyer gave a stool sample which ultimately tested positive for a strain of E. coli associated with an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to romaine lettuce sold at Schnucks supermarkets. He was then admitted to St. John’s Mercy Hospital where he was treated until discharged on October 30.

Over at Outbreak Database, we have been keeping track of foodborne illness outbreaks – small and large – over the last 12 months.  Here are some of the more interesting E. coli Outbreaks:

Organic Pastures Unpasteurized, Raw Milk November 2011 – 5 Ill.  Raw milk products produced by Organic Pastures were recalled and quarantined by the state of California after five children were infected with the same strain of E. coli O157:H7 and drinking Organic Pastures raw milk. The children were residents of Contra Costa, Kings, Sacramento, and San Diego counties. The only common food exposure was the unpasteurized raw milk. Laboratory sampling failed to detect E. coli O157:H7. The recall was ordered strictly on the basis of the epidemiologic findings of the California Department of Public Health. Organic Pastures was implicated in an earlier outbreak of E. coli O157:H7, in 2006; the E. coli O157:H7 implicated in this outbreak was different than the strain implicated in 2006.

Cozy Vale Creamery Raw, Unpasteurized Milk Products November 2011 – 3 Ill.  Cozy Vale Creamery’s raw milk products were recalled due to their link to an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in Washington State that began in August. Cozy Vale Creamery’s whole and skim milk and cream were distributed through seven retail outlets in Pierce, Thurston and King counties. The recalled products had sell-by dates of December 6 or earlier. The Washington State Department of Agriculture discovered that locations in the milking parlor and processing areas were contaminated with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria. The milk products were sold at the farm store and at Marlene's Market in Tacoma, two Olympia Food Co-Op locations in Olympia, Olympia Local Foods in Tumwater, Yelm Co-op in Yelm, Mt. Community Co-op in Eatonville and Marlene's Market in Federal Way. Retail raw milk is legal to buy and sell in Washington State.

Multistate Schnucks Salad Bars, College Campuses Romaine Lettuce October 2011 – 60 Ill.  An outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 was first identified in the region around Saint Louis, Missouri. Cases were found in Saint Louis, Jefferson, Saint Charles, and Saint Clair counties and in the city of Saint Louis. The cases ranged in age from 1 to 94. At least six persons were hospitalized. Many of the cases had eaten items from salad bars prior to becoming ill. On October 28, Illinois state health officials revealed that they were investigating an illness that might be linked to the outbreak in Missouri. The link was not described. On October 31, health department officials acknowledged that Schnucks salad bars were a focus of the investigation, however other sources had not been excluded. Cases were identified in Minnesota and Missouri that were linked to college campuses. Additional cases were found in other states; the exposure location in these states was not described. Traceback analysis determined that a common lot of romaine lettuce, from a single farm, was used to supply the Schnucks' grocery stores and the college campuses. The lettuce was sold to Vaughn Foods, a distributor, that supplied lettuce to the university campus in Missouri, but records were not sufficient to confirm that this lot was sent to this university campus. Preliminary findings of investigation at farm did not identify the source of the contamination.

Jaquith Strawberry Farm Strawberries September 2011 – 15 Ill.  An outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 was linked to eating fresh strawberries produced by Jaquith Strawberry Farm, in Oregon. The farm sold berries to buyers who in turn distributed them to roadside stands and farmers' markets in Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Yamhill, and Clatsop counties. The berries were sold in unmarked containers and were last distributed on August 1. Confirmed cases included residents of Washington, Clatsop, and Multnomah counties. Strawberries had not previously been implicated in an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in the U.S. Ten percent of the environmental samples collected at the Jaquith Strawberry Farm tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. Those samples included deer feces; deer were suspected to be the source of the contamination. The outbreak strain was found in samples from fields in three separate locations.

Tyson Fresh Meats Ground Beef September 2011 – 4 Ill.  An outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 was associated with eating ground beef in a private home in Butler County, Ohio. A consumer sample of leftover ground beef was tested and confirmed the presence of the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7. On September 27, Tyson Fresh Meats issued a voluntary recall of 131,300 pounds of ground beef. The recall involved beef sold as Kroger brands at Kroger Company supermarkets; Butcher's Beef at Food Lion supermarkets; and generic beef sold to Save-A-Lot, Spectrum Foods, Supervalu and the Defense Commissary Agency.

J & B Meats Ground Beef July 2011 – 2 Ill.  J & B Meats recalled ground beef after an investigation into two cases of E. coli O157:H7 linked the product to the illnesses. The beef had been sold to restaurants in the Cincinnati, Ohio, region.

McNees Meats and Wholesale LLC Ground Beef July 2011 – 9 Ill.  An outbreak of E. coli O157:NM was attributed to the consumption of ground beef produced by McNees Meats and Wholesale, LLC, of North Branch, Michigan. The implicated beef was sold to restaurants through a retail establishment owned by McNees Meats and Wholesale, LLC. Illnesses were reported from Genesee, Isabella, Lapeer, and Sanilac counties.

Jason's Deli Guacamole April 2011 – 11 Ill.  Patrons of Jason's Deli in Killeen, Texas, became ill with E. coli O157:H7 bacteria. The epidemiologic investigation revealed that guacamole made on April 13 was the most likely cause of the outbreak. The guacamole had been used as a sandwich spread for the California Club sandwich. The guacamole had likely become contaminated at the deli.

Palmyra Bologna Company Lebanon Bologna January 2011 – 21 Ill.  On March 23, the Centers for Disease Control announced that there was an investigation underway into an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 that had been epidemiologically linked to the consumption of Lebanon bologna. The Palmyra Bologna Company, of Palmyra, Pennsylvania, issued a recall of the product on March 22. Lebanon bologna is a fermented, semi-dry, sausage. The suspect bologna was produced in December 2010, and had been shipped to five states.

ST. LOUIS – Marler Clark, the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of E. coli outbreaks, along with St. Louis-based law firm Aleshire Robb & Sivils filed a lawsuit today on behalf of a St. Louis woman who was hospitalized with an E. coli O157:H7 infection after consuming romaine lettuce at a local Schnucks supermarket salad bar.

According to a complaint (#IISL-CC04859) filed in St. Louis County Circuit Court, Mary Kozlowski ate romaine lettuce at a Schnucks salad bar three times in October.  By October 21, she began experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms indicative of an E. coli infection.  Ms. Kozlowski was admitted to Mercy Hospital on October 27.  Her condition continued to deteriorate and she developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication of an E. coli infection that caused her kidneys to fail.   Ms. Kozlowski was also treated for anemia, an irregular heartbeat, severe fluid retention, and a pulmonary embolism. Ms. Kozlowski was released from the hospital on November 7; however, the complaint alleges that she still suffers ongoing symptoms related to her illness and has sustained permanent damage to her kidneys.

“My client has endured a great deal of terror, pain, and suffering – all because she ate a salad,” said Kozlowski’s attorney William Marler.  “When you purchase food, you believe it may do a number of things - provide nourishment, taste good, or even just fill you up. What you don’t intend is for that food to endanger your life.”

Ms. Kozlowski’s illness is one of at least 60 E. coli illnesses associated with what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is calling a 10-state E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce used in salad bars in various Schnucks stores.  According to a CDC report published December 7, the romaine lettuce came from a single source, though neither Schnucks nor the CDC has released its name. The romaine lettuce was also served at universities in Minnesota and Missouri.

MARLER CLARK is the foremost law firmed dedicated solely to representing victims of foodborne illness.  The law firm’s E. coli lawyers have unparalleled experience and have recovered over $600,000,000 for victims of foodborne illness since 1993.  To speak with an attorney, or if you are a member of the media and would like to view a copy of the complaint, contact Cody Moore at 1-206-407-2200 or cmoore@marlerclark.com.

The CDC reported today that 60 persons have been infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 in 10 states. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Arizona (1), Arkansas (2), Georgia (1), Illinois (9), Indiana (2), Kansas (3), Kentucky (1), Minnesota (3), Missouri (37), and Nebraska (1).

Among persons for whom information is available, illnesses began from October 10, 2011 to November 4, 2011. Ill persons ranged in age from 1 to 94 years, with a median age of 29 years old. Sixty-three percent were female. Among the 45 ill persons with available information, 30 (67%) were hospitalized, and 2 developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). No deaths have been reported.

Collaborative investigative efforts of state, local, and federal public health agencies indicate that romaine lettuce sold primarily at several locations of a single grocery store chain (Schnucks) was the likely source of illnesses in this outbreak. Contamination likely occurred before the product reached Schnucks locations.

Ill persons reported purchasing salads from salad bars at Schnucks between October 5 and October 24, 2011. A total of 9 locations of Schnucks were identified where more than one ill person reported purchasing a salad from the salad bar in the week before becoming ill. This included 2 separate locations where 4 ill persons reported purchasing a salad at each location. For locations where more than one ill person reported purchasing a salad from the salad bar and the date of purchase was known, dates of purchase were all within 4 days of other ill persons purchasing a salad at that same location. Romaine lettuce served on salad bars at all locations of Schnucks had come from a single lettuce processing facility via a single distributor. This indicates that contamination of romaine lettuce likely occurred before the product reached Schnucks locations.

The FDA and several state agencies conducted traceback investigations for romaine lettuce to try to identify the source of contamination. Traceback investigations focused on ill persons who had eaten at salad bars at several locations of Schnucks and ill persons at university campuses in Minnesota (1 ill person) and Missouri (2 ill persons). Traceback analysis determined that a single common lot of romaine lettuce harvested from Farm A was used to supply Schnucks locations as well as the university campus in Minnesota during the time of the illnesses. This lot was also provided to a distributor that supplied lettuce to the university campus in Missouri, but records were not sufficient to determine if this lot was sent to this university campus. Preliminary findings of investigation at Farm A did not identify the source of the contamination. Farm A was no longer in production during the time of the investigation.