As health officials hurry to contain the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak associated with E. coli-contaminated ground beef products from Valley Meats, LLC, of Coal Valley, Illinois, news continues to filter in. The ground beef products reportedly were not sold in grocery stores, but were sold to distributors in 11 states and thereby made their way into restaurants and onto the plates of diners.
Two locations have been identified by Cleveland health officials as points of investigation of the multistate E. coli O157:H7 outbreak: the VFW Hall in North Olmsted and Deekers Side Tracks in Mentor.
According to the Beacon Journal:
Three Cuyahoga County residents who became ill in April from E. coli had eaten at the two places. Testing showed that all were sickened by strains of E. coli that were genetically linked to each other…. However, testing has not officially determined whether the strain of E. coli was matched to the beef from Valley Meats.
At the same time, officials are testing to determine whether the same form of E. coli is what sickened a 7-year-old Cleveland girl who died Sunday.
The recall may, in fact, be too late to prevent related E. coli O157:H7 infections, because the contaminated ground beef products most likely have already been consumed between the time of distribution and the discovery of linked illnesses in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. This is among the many reasons why our food system is in need of strong trace-back regulation and enforcement so that the source of food poisoning can be identified and eliminated as quickly as possible. Of course, an even more effective approach is for meat producers to eliminate E. coli and other foodborne pathogens before products ever come into contact with the consumer, thus preventing such horrific tragedies as the death of a seven-year-old child.
E. coli O157:H7 is an extremely dangerous strain of E. coli that can present symptoms of bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping, dehydration, fever, fatigue, and nausea. The initial infection may lead to a potentially fatal condition called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) include paleness, fatigue, irritability, swelling of the extremities or entire body, high blood pressure, and decreased urine output. In some cases, Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) results in kidney failure and eventual death.
For more information on Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS): Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS)
Richard J. Arsenault, 2010
