August 2004

The Olympian reports that a local toddler has been hospitalized with E. coli, a bacteria that in severe cases can lead to deadly complications. Samantha Hatcher, 2, became ill during the weekend with bloody diarrhea and is at Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle.
The toddler was stable Thursday, according to a hospital…

The Associated Press reports, regarding the Carneco E. coli meat recall, that although Sam’s Club has been pulling the meat off the shelves that it’s possible the sirloin patties may have been sold by other retailers. The probability is that this meat was consumed long ago, although consumers may still have contaminated meat sold by…

Getting at bacteria before they have a chance of getting into people is the focus of ARS studies in Ames, Iowa, aimed at stopping a particularly nasty E. coli-related disease.
Microbiologist Evelyn Dean-Nystrom and veterinary medical officer William Stoffregen of ARS’s National Animal Disease Center (NADC) have worked to pinpoint where E. coli O157:H7 bacteria lurk in calves. Nystrom is also working with scientists at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, to develop and test an oral vaccine that eliminates E. coli O157:H7 bacteria from cattle.
Nystrom works at NADC’s Preharvest Food Safety and Enteric Diseases Research Unit, while Stoffregen works at the center’s Bacterial Diseases of Livestock Research Unit.
Enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7 is the most common infectious cause of bloody diarrhea in people in the United States. Hemolytic uremic syndrome, a potential consequence of E. coli O157:H7 infection, is the primary cause of acute kidney failure in U.S. children.
E. coli is normally found in the intestines of all animals, including humans, where it suppresses growth of harmful bacteria. But E. coli O157:H7 is a rare variety that produces large quantities of potent Shiga toxins, which can cause severe damage to small blood vessels and kidney tissue.
Undercooked or raw ground beef has been implicated in many E. coli O157:H7 disease outbreaks among humans. In the United States, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli causes diarrhea in more than 100,000 people each year, with E. coli O157:H7 responsible for more than 70,000 of these cases.Continue Reading Targeting E. coli Infections at Their Source

“Action comes after 5 get sick” was the headline of a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel yesterday about the Sam’s Club/Carneco Foods recall announced Wednesday. The following products were recalled:
-Six-pound bags of “Northern Plains Beef Sirloin and Beef Patties, 85/15” with a packaging code 17304. Also marked “Best by 12/18/04.”
-Ten-pound boxes of “Northern Plains Gourmet…

The Milwaukee Channel has also reported on E. coli linked to the Sam’s club recall.
From the article:

The investigation into the how the meat was contaminated and how far it has spread was just beginning, said Dr. Harry Hull, Minnesota state epidemiologist.
“There is the potential for this to be much larger,” he said.

…

The Associated Press reported yesterday that Indiana is one of 10 states recalling meat, which is linked to five cases of E. coli infection in Minnesota and Wisconsin. These infections have been linked to frozen ground sirloin patties sold by Sam’s Club and manufactured at a Nebraska plant, which has been the site of two…

A Nebraska firm is recalling about 497,000 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with a potentially deadly strain of the E.coli bacteria, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday.
The recall was prompted by reports of illnesses linked to the consumption of meat produced by Columbus, Nebraska-Carneco Foods, LLC, June 21.
The…

The Star Tribune reports that five people in Minnesota and Wisconsin have been infected with E. coli bacteria traced to ground beef bought at Sam’s Club stores in July, the Minnesota Department of Health reported Tuesday.
The four infected Minnesotans, including one child, became ill between July 10 and July 24. All five have recovered,…

Today the Associated Press did a Q&A on salmonella and E. coli:
Health officials say a recent outbreak of salmonella infections in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia are likely linked to tainted tomatoes on sandwiches served by Sheetz convenience stores. Here are some basics on salmonella and E. coli, two of the most common germs threatening food:
Q: What are salmonella and E. coli and how are they spread?
A: Both are bacteria that occur commonly in the intestinal tracts of animals and humans, but some types cause serious illness. They are often spread by the unwashed hands of food workers.
Some strains of salmonella can turn up on fruits and vegetables; others are found in eggs and poultry. E. coli is most often linked to undercooked meat but also can be found in raw sprouts and lettuce. Both bacteria are also found in unpasteurized milk and juice.Continue Reading Basics on salmonella and E. Coli