E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak that has sickened at least 75 appears to have hit the Midwest

FDA, CDC and state health authorities remain mum on who made the iceberg and romaine lettuce blend. At this point, keeping things quiet is more than a bit perplexing.

As of early December, whole genome sequencing (WGS) had shown that an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak thought to be limited to St. Louis, Missouri had spread across six other states. Health officials suspect leafy greens are the source of the pathogen. The outbreak associated with Andre’s Banquets and Catering, Rockwood Summit High School and other venues is part of this larger outbreak.

As of December 3, the health department had confirmed 117 patients, 13 of whom had to be hospitalized. The outbreak was first reported Nov. 14. Two of the patient remained hospitalized and three developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) as the second week of December. Public health officials initially identified patients from students, staff and parents who attended off-campus events catered by Andre’s. Additional patients who attended two veterans events and a funeral catered by Andre’s were also identified.

The health department has reported that 25 patients were genetically linked to the caterer, which was the largest subcluster of illnesses in the outbreak. Genetic testing of the E. coli O157:H7 found patients in Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, North Dakota, Ohio and South Dakota.

However, as of December 13, the FDA and CDC, in collaboration with state and local partners, announced they were investigating illnesses in a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to an iceberg and romaine lettuce blend served at catering events, restaurants, and a school. Based on epidemiological information collected by CDC, a total of 75 people infected with the same strain of E. coli O157:H7 have been reported from 12 states. 

FDA’s traceback investigation has identified an iceberg and romaine lettuce blend from a common yet to be named supplier as the source of this outbreak; however, impacted product identified to date appears to be past shelf life and no longer on the market. FDA is continuing to work with the unnamed supplier to determine if any additional product could be impacted. FDA has initiated an inspection.

William “Bill” Marler has been a food safety lawyer and advocate since the 1993 Jack-in-the-Box E. coli Outbreak which was chronicled in the book, “Poisoned” and in the recent Emmy Award winning Netflix documentary by the same name. Bill work has been profiled in the New Yorker, “A Bug in the System;” the Seattle Times, “30 years after the deadly E. coli outbreak, A Seattle attorney still fights for food safety;” the Washington Post, “He helped make burgers safer, Now he is fighting food poisoning again;” and several others. 

Dozens of times a year Bill speaks to industry and government throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa, China and Australia on why it is important to prevent foodborne illnesses.  He is also a frequent commentator on food litigation and food safety on Marler Blog. Bill is also the publisher of Food Safety News.

E. coli:  Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of E. coli outbreaks and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The E. coli lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of E. coli and other foodborne illness infections and have recovered over $900 million for clients. Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation.  Our E. coli lawyers have litigated E. coli and HUS cases stemming from outbreaks traced to ground beef, raw milk, lettuce, spinach, sprouts, and other food products.  The law firm has brought E. coli lawsuits against such companies as Jack in the Box, Dole, ConAgra, Cargill, and Jimmy John’s.  We have proudly represented such victims as Brianne Kiner, Stephanie Smith and Linda Rivera.

If you or a family member became ill with an E. coli infection or HUS after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark E. coli attorneys for a free case evaluation.

Additional Resources:

• About E. coli – a complete online resource with information on symptoms and risks of E. coli infection
• About hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) – a complete online resource with information about acute kidney failure
• Marler Clark E. coli Lawsuits and Litigation
• A downloadable Family Health Guide

Republished with permission from Bill Marler and Marler Clark. Copyright (c) Marler Clark LLP, PS. All rights reserved.