E. Coli Outbreak Reported in Michigan, Ohio

Courtney Mills

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A spokesman for the Ohio Department of Health alerted the public to the existence of a multi-state outbreak of E-Coli bacteria, evidently involving raw ground beef from Kroger Food Stores, the largest grocery chain in the U.S. Cases of the same strain of the bacteria were discovered in both Ohio and Michigan.

According to media reports, the spokesman for Ohio’s Department of Health reported that CDC testing of samples of ground beef culled from Kroger processing centers in Ohio and Michigan revealed the same strain of E. coli present throughout. E. coli is a noxious food contagion that causes cramping, vomiting, and diarrhea, and can be fatal in immunospressed populations. Fifteen cases of food-poisoning through E. coli were discovered in Michigan, and two were reported in Ohio. These cases are all related to the same strain of E. coli, E. Coli 0157:H7.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this strain of E. coli is one of the most toxic. Ten have been hospitalized from this latest outbreak.