For more information on the Mysterious E. coli O157: H7 Outbreak, to speak to an E. coli Lawyer, or to inquire about an E. coli Lawsuit, call 1-888-335-4901.
E. coli Lawyer Update: FDA Announces the End of the Mysterious E. coli O157: H7 Outbreak.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on December 22, 2020, the end of the E. coli O157: H7 outbreak that was announced back in the fall of 2020. The outbreak was originally announced along with two other E. coli outbreaks that have since been announced over as well. In the recent reports of the three outbreaks, all three investigations have ended without a product being named as the source of the contamination. According to the FDA, leafy greens seem to be the cause of the outbreaks but no specific product has been named.
In the most recent outbreak report, the FDA stated that as of December 18, 2020, the number of cases linked to the E. coli O157: H7 outbreak was 40, half of which needed hospitalization. Four of the cases developed Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure due to damage to the very small blood vessels of the kidneys. The local and state health officials were able to get interview more than half of the reported cases, all of which reported eating a variety of leafy greens, including spinach and romaine lettuce.
In their investigation, the FDA was able to trackback several types of leafy greens which the affected individuals reported eating, to multiple farms. After the farms were identified the FDA, along with local and state officials conducted inspections on the farms and collected environmental samples. Unfortunately, despite the multiple teams which were deployed to dozens of farms in the region to conduct large-scale environmental sampling, no Shiga toxin-producing E. coli was found on leafy greens.
In their last update, the FDA stated that since the products potentially involved in the E. coli outbreaks are most likely past their expiration dates all three outbreaks appear to be over. Ron Simon, a National E. coli Lawyer, stated:
“A series of events occurs between the time a patient is infected and the time public health officials can determine that the patient is part of an outbreak. This means that there will be a delay between the start of illness and confirmation that a patient is part of an outbreak. Given that fact, the number of infected persons is always in flux.”
For more information on the Mysterious E. coli O157: H7 Outbreak, to speak to an E. coli Lawyer, or to inquire about an E. coli Lawsuit, call 1-888-335-4901.
