Category Archives: e-coli-o157

Angus Beef Patties E. coli

Outbreak: Angus Beef Patties E. coli
Product: Beef PattiesInvestigation Start Date: 09/17/2007
Location: Multi-StateEtiology: E. coli (STEC) O157:H7
Earliest known case onset date: 08/01/2007Latest case onset date: 10/08/2007
Confirmed Case Count: 47Positive Food Samples : 17
OUTBREAK SUMMARY:
Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) staff quickly identified the outbreak vehicle when the first four detected outbreak cases all reported consuming the same brand of premade beef patties. Investigators tracked down detailed product information from two cases, and two leftover boxes of beef patties obtained from case households were found … Continue Reading ››

Protected: 2002 Lane County Fair

Outbreak: 2002 Lane County Fair
Product: Animal Petting ExhibitInvestigation Start Date: 08/21/02
Location: Eugene, OREtiology: E. coli O157
Earliest known case onset date: 08/02Latest case onset date: 08/02
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Count: 56 / 14Positive Environmental Samples: 1
OUTBREAK SUMMARY:
The 2002 Lane County Fair was the site of the largest outbreak of E. coli O157 in state history with 56 confirmed cases, 14 presumptive cases and 11 cases with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Oregon epidemiologists discovered that an animal exhibit, not food vendors, was the source of the outbreak. … Continue Reading ››

Protected: Odwalla Juice

Outbreak: Odwalla Juice
Product: Odwalla JuiceInvestigation Start Date: Oct. 20, 1996
Location: Multi-state WA, CA, CO, BCEtiology: E. coli O157
Earliest known case onset date: 10/13/1996Latest case onset date: 11/08/1996
Confirmed Case Count: 67 (12 with HUS, 1 death)Positive Food Samples: 1
OUTBREAK SUMMARY:
The health conscious juice company Odwalla became the epicenter of a 1996 outbreak of E. coli O157. Health officials in the Pacific Northwest identified Odwalla’s unpasteurized apple juice as the source of the outbreak. This outbreak lead to industry wide changes in the use of flash pasteurization, a high temperature, … Continue Reading ››

Jack-in-the-Box Hamburgers

Outbreak: Jack In The Box Hamburgers
Product: HamburgersInvestigation Start Date: 01/12/1993
Location: Multi-State OutbreakEtiology: E. coli O157
Earliest known case onset date: 11/18/1992Latest case onset date: 02/21/1993
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 503 / 229Positive Samples (Food / Environmental / Water): 0 / 0 / 0
Hospitalizations: 151Deaths: 3
OUTBREAK SUMMARY:

This was the largest outbreak of E. coli O157 infections ever documented in the United States, and it injected this pathogen—and threats to food safety in general—into popular consciousness.

Venison Jerky

Outbreak: Venison Jerky
Product: Venison JerkyInvestigation Start Date: 11/20/1995
Location: Benton County, OregonEtiology: E. coli (STEC) O157:H7
Earliest known case onset date: 11/13/1995Latest case onset date: 11/20/1995
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 6 / 5Positive Samples (Food / Environmental / Water): 2 / 2 / 0
OUTBREAK SUMMARY:

At a time when ground beef was thought to be the source of all foodborne E. coli O157 infections, this was the first documentation of venison-associated E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. Epidemiologists showed that deer can be colonized by E. coli O157:H7 and ultimately be a source of human infections. … Continue Reading ››

Foundation Farm Raw Milk

Outbreak: Foundation Farm Raw Milk
Product: Foundation Farm Raw MilkInvestigation Start Date: 04/10/2012
Location: Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties, OregonEtiology: E. coli (STEC) O157:H7
Earliest known case onset date: 04/01/2012Latest case onset date: 04/14/2012
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 11 / 5Positive Samples (Food / Environmental): 2 / 13
Hospitalizations: 4Deaths: 0
OUTBREAK SUMMARY:

This outbreak highlighted the persistent hazard of raw milk consumption, already well documented in the medical literature. Four of the 11 cases were hospitalized — some critically ill and all with hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), subsequently shown to have been caused by E. coli O157:H7. Although most sales of raw … Continue Reading ››

Berry Stand Strawberries

Outbreak: Berry Stand Strawberries
Product: StrawberriesInvestigation Start Date: 08/03/2011
Location: Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington, Clatsop, & Yamhill Counties, OregonEtiology: E. coli (STEC) O157:H7
Earliest known case onset date: 07/01/2011Latest case onset date: 07/29/2011
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 14 / 1Positive Samples (Food / Environmental): 4 / 100
Hospitalizations: 6Deaths: 2
OUTBREAK SUMMARY:

This investigation implicated a novel vehicle—strawberries—as the cause of an outbreak of E. coli O157 infections. An association with locally produced strawberries quickly became apparent as cases were interviewed; but the fact that almost all had purchased them at roadside stands and farmer’s markets led to concern about potential … Continue Reading ››

Bagged Spinach

Outbreak: Bagged Spinach
Product: SpinachInvestigation Start Date: 09/08/2006
Location: Multi-StateEtiology: E. coli (STEC) O157:H7
Earliest known case onset date: 08/25/2006Latest case onset date: 09/13/2006
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 5 / 0Positive Samples (Food / Environmental / Water): 0 / 0 / 0
Hospitalizations: 98Deaths: 3
OUTBREAK SUMMARY:

This outbreak highlighted Inter-state health department cooperation. Oregon epidemiologists identified that 4 out of 5 cases in Oregon consumed bagged spinach using their homegrown "Shotgun" hypothesis-generating questionnaire. Contact with WI and NM showed cases already underway with spinach showing signs of being the culprit. Contact with Utah allowed them … Continue Reading ››

Cal-Farms Parsley

Outbreak: Cal-Farms Parsley
Product: ParsleyInvestigation Start Date: 10/20/2005
Location: Deschutes County, OREtiology: E. coli (STEC) O157:H7
Earliest known case onset date: 10/08/2005Latest case onset date: 10/27/2005
Confirmed / Presumptive Case Counts: 3 / 61Positive Samples (Environmental / Water) 10 / 2
OUTBREAK SUMMARY:

This 2005 McGrath's Fish House outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections was traced back to parsley from Cal-Farms. The journey to finding the source was interesting: 206 people interviewed, 64 ill people, extremely muddy field conditions, cattle near the flooded parsley fields, and even evidence of heavy deer presence.