The E. coli O145 outbreak in Ohio and Michigan has spread to New York, where at lest 13 illnesses are suspected of being linked to the outbreak.
All together, the outbreak may have sickened around 50 people and is not contained.
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Public health officials in the three states are being assisted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in trying to determine the cause of the outbreak, which has included students at Ohio State University in Columbus and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
New York State Health Department spokesman Jeffrey Hammond said in an e-mail to the Columbus Dispatch that the agency will soon issue a statewide health-care provider alert.
One New York illness has been definitely linked to the Michigan-Ohio E. coli O145 outbreak and a dozen others are suspected of being linked, the newspaper reported.
The linked New York case is from Erie County, home to Buffalo, and the individual has recovered.
Meanwhile, all five Ohio E. coli infections previously confirmed by the public health authority in Columbus have now been genetically linked to the outbreak in Michigan, the Columbus Dispatch reported. Eight other probable cases are under evaluation in Ohio
The investigation into what is causing this non-O157 E. coli outbreak is at the stage of testing various food samples, but authorities are not saying what foods are suspect. Ground beef is the most common vehicle for E. coli outbreaks, but a source told national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen that beef products were not high on the list of suspect foods.
In Ohio, Columbus Public Health officials want to hear from individuals who think they might have been infected. The number to call is 614-719-8888.
If you have a confirmed illness or one that is being investigated by health authorities, Pritzker Olsen will answer your legal questions and provide a free case consultation at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free).
Our law firm, which also can be reached through the contact form on the side of this Web page, is one of the few in the nation practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation. We have collected millions for victims of food poisoning over the years.
E. coli O145 infections are less common that those caused by
E. coli O157:H7, but both types of the organism emit shiga toxins that can wreak havoc in a person's body by shutting down kidney function, damaging the brain and central nervous system and leading to strokes, coma, paralysis and
E. coli death.
