E. Coli Outbreak Sickens 72 in Five States
The CDC hasn’t determined the source of the contamination.
Apr 08, 2019
WASHINGTON, D.C.—An outbreak of E. coli has sickened more than 70 people in five states since March 2, the Washington Post reports. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said it has yet to trace the source of the infection to a specific food, store or restaurant chain.
Eight people have been hospitalized as a result of the outbreak of the relatively uncommon E. coli bacteria strain known as “O103,″ the CDC said. No deaths have been reported. The patients are as young as 1 year old and as old as 74.
The affected states are Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia. At least 36 of the reported cases are from Kentucky and 21 are from Tennessee.
“Given the size and the number of states that are involved, what you’re seeing is very unusual,” Bill Marler, a Seattle attorney specializing in food safety, told the Post. “If it was five people or 10 people, that’s a little harder to figure out. But when there’s 72 people and they’re being interviewed by epidemiologists, it’s pretty unusual you don’t have a culprit.”
Symptoms of E. coli include severe stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea, according to the CDC. Most people get better within five to seven days, though the illness can be severe, and in some cases even life-threatening.
Food safety
