Latest E coli Update from the CDC

As of 1:00 pm on Sunday, September 24, Escherichia coli 0157:H7 had infected 173 people in 25 states. Over half have been hospitalized and 16% have contracted Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). The FDA reports that three food processors/distributors have recalled products containing fresh spinach; Natural Selections, LLC, RLB Food Distributors, and River Ranch.

According to the CDC, there are 25 states with reported E coli infections: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Click on the map to see case count information.

One person in Wisconsin with a confirmed infection from the outbreak strain has died. There have been two additional deaths of people who may or may not have been infected with the same strain of E coli as the rest of the cases.

The Utah Public Health Laboratory (UPHL) has identified the same strain of E coli 0157:H7 in a bag of opened spinach found in a patient's refridgerator. This is the second laboratory to identify contaminated spinach with the same strain of E coli.

For more information on foodborne illness and food safety, follow these links:

• Food Poisoning (First Aid)
• Escherichia coli (E coli) O157:H7 (First Aid)
• Salmonella (First Aid)
• Shigella (First Aid)
• Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (Rare Diseases)
• How E coli Causes Kidney Failure (Kidney Diseases)