The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a retrospective report on the totality of foodborne illness outbreaks in 2006, the most recent year for which all the figures are available.
National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys has examined the report and teased out relevant E. coli O157:H7 facts. If you need to contact an E. coli lawyer at the firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free), or contact us online by completing a free case consultation form.
Some facts from the report:
- There were 11 multi-state outbreaks of foodborne illness in 2006. Multi-state is defined as genetically matched strains of illness confirmed in more than one state. Ten of these outbreaks were attributed to bacteria. Of those, four were linked to E. coli O157:H7. One of the multi-state E. coli outbreaks sickened 395 people who ate contaminated leafy green vegetables. Another 44 people got sick in a multi-state E. coli outbreak by eating tainted beef. No other bacteria was involved in more than four multi-state outbreaks. The non-bacterial illness outbreak was attributed to floor sealant transmitted by baked goods.
- A total of 1,270 identifiable food poisoning outbreaks were tracked in 2006, sickening 27,634 people and killing 11. Of the deaths, six were linked to E. coli O157:H7.
- Spinach that was contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 sickened 238 people, making it one of biggest outbreaks of the year. In the spinach outbreak, 31 persons developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, and five died, including a child. The contaminated spinach was traced back to a single farm, where the outbreak strain was isolated from nearby cattle feces and feral swine feces.
- Two E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks during 2006 were linked to raw, unpasteurized milk.
