The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued its final update on the Fairbank Farms ground beef E. coli outbreak, which has killed two people and sicked two dozen others in eight states. The report doesn’t mean the outbreak is over because health officials are still concerned that some ground beef associated with the E. coli HUS outbreak is still in home freezers.
The report says that a number of the illnesses appear to be associated with products from the October 31 recall of 545,699 pounds of ground beef and related products from Fairbank Farms, which has a grinding plant in Ashville, New York.
Two samples from opened packages of ground beef recovered from a patient’s homes were tested by the Massachusetts and Connecticut Departments of Health and yielded E. coli O157:H7 isolates that matched the patient isolates by DNA analysis.
The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: California (1), Connecticut (6), Massachusetts (8), Maryland (1), Maine (4), New Hampshire (4), New York (1), and Vermont (1). Of these, the genetic associations of 24 human isolates and both of the product isolates have been confirmed by an advanced secondary DNA test; secondary tests are pending on others and the number of people considered to be part of the outbreak could increase.
The CDC’s advice to consumers is to check your refrigerators and freezers for any beef products made by this firm purchased on or after September 15, 2009. The packages were sold at various retail chains, mostly as fresh ground beef products, bearing the USDA establishment number “EST 492″ inside the USDA mark of inspection with production date codes of 091409, 091509 and 091609.
E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially lethal human pathogen that emits a powerful toxin causing extremely painful diarrhea, often bloody. In this outbreak, 19 victims have been hospitalized and five have developed E. coli HUS, or hemolytic uremic syndrome, a life-threatening condition that shuts down a person’s kidneys, can result in hemorrhaging, strokes, E. coli in the brain, heart problems, diabetes and other health problems.
If you or a loved one has become sick after eating meat associated with this outbreak, see a physician immediately. For legal information, contact national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys. We are in contact with victims of the outbreak and currently represent E. coli HUS victims. Few other law firms in the country practice as extensively as we do in the area of foodborne illness and we have collected tens of millions of dollars for victims.
We have the experience and resources it takes to help you and we will provide a free case consultation if you contact our firm at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our contact and information form.
