- WASHINGTON (Reuters) - At
least 56 people in three states became ill after eating ground beef suspected
of contamination with the potentially deadly bacteria E. coli 0157:H7,
state health officials said on Friday.
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- The Wisconsin Division of Public Health said it alerted
federal authorities about two separate E. coli outbreaks within the state.
Both are connected to ground beef.
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- A total of 52 people in Wisconsin, three in Minnesota
and one in Illinois have been linked to the contamination. Officials said
19 in Wisconsin were hospitalized.
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- "The suspected vehicle for transmission of E. coli
O157:H7 in both of these outbreaks is ground beef," the Wisconsin
agency said in a statement.
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- "Heightened surveillance continues throughout Wisconsin
and outside the state to detect additional cases and determine the extent
of illness attributable to these outbreaks," the health agency said.
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- Officials said they did not yet know the source of the
tainted meat.
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- U.S. Agriculture Department officials were not immediately
available for comment.
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- The state agency said a ground beef sample obtained from
a Minnesota case has tested positive for one of the outbreak strains of
E. coli. Two additional ground beef samples obtained from patients in Wisconsin
were currently being tested.
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- E. coli O157:H7, typically acquired through contaminated
food or water, causes bloody diarrhea, vomiting and cramps. In some cases,
usually involving the elderly or young children, it can lead to kidney
failure and death.
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- The strain of bacteria causes an estimated 73,000 infections
and 61 deaths in the United States each year, according to government data.
It is destroyed when meat is cooked to at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
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- In the last three months, the USDA has announced a series
of massive beef recalls due to E. coli concerns.
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- In July, ConAgra recalled nearly 19 million pounds of
ground beef because of E. coli contamination. The beef, which sickened
34 people in 10 states, prompted the USDA to consider toughening its food
safety requirements for meat companies.
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