Michigan, Ohio E.coli Outbreaks Are Linked
The outbreaks of E. coli bacteria that have caused illnesses in Michigan and Ohio are linked to each other and connected to ground beef, some of which was reportedly sold in Kroger stores, according to health officials.
This comes on the heels of a salmonella outbreak stemming from tainted tomatoes, which has made more than 550 people ill across the country. The source of the salmonella has not yet been determined, but the investigation has narrowed to Mexico and Florida.
The Centers for Disease Control said earlier this week that it confirmed 24 cases of E. coli that shared the same genetic fingerprint and characteristics, indicating they were related. Of the total, 11 cases were reported in Michigan and 13 in Ohio, the CDC said.
Fourteen people have been hospitalized, and one has developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic-uremic syndrome, the CDC said. No deaths have been reported.
Health officials in Michigan said that more than half of the people in the state with confirmed E. coli cases reported purchasing ground beef from Kroger Food Stores, the largest U.S. grocery chain, according to a Reuters report.
"We were notified today that E. coli illnesses reported in Michigan and Ohio have been linked to products purchased in some of our stores in those states," said Kroger spokeswoman Meghan Glynn in an e-mail to Reuters. She said the illnesses were reported between May 31 and June 8. "Any ground beef sold during that period is no longer available in our stores," she said.
Glynn said Ohio and Michigan health authorities have not identified the supplier or the specific type of ground beef that caused the illnesses.
"We purchase our ground beef from major suppliers in the industry and we are working with federal, state and local agencies to identify the supplier," she said.