CDC: Contaminated beef may be linked to 2 deaths - possible E. coli 0157:H7

[Pathfinder]

CDC: Contaminated beef may be linked to 2 deaths

Monday, November 02, 2009
By Ben Dobbin, The Associated Press

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Two deaths and 26 other illnesses may be linked to fresh ground beef that has been recalled because it might be contaminated with E. coli bacteria, a federal health official said today.

One of the deaths involved a New York adult with several underlying health conditions, said Lola Scott Russell, a spokeswoman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The other is a death previously reported by New Hampshire, where state health officials said a patient died due to complications.

Russell said all but three of the suspected infections are in the northeastern United States and 18 are in New England.

Ashville, N.Y.-based Fairbank Farms recalled almost 546,000 pounds of fresh ground beef that had been distributed in September to stores from North Carolina to Maine. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's recall notice, dated Saturday, said the possibly tainted meat had been sold in numerous ways, from meatloaf and meatball mix to hamburger patties.

Some of the ground beef was sold at Trader Joe's, Price Chopper,
Lancaster, Wild Harvest, Shaw's, BJ's, Ford Brothers and Giant stores in packages that carried the number "EST. 492" on the label. Those products were packaged Sept. 15-16 and may have been labeled with a sell-by date from Sept. 19 through Sept. 28, meaning they're no longer being sold as fresh product in supermarkets, Fairbank Farms said.

The rest of the ground beef, packaged in wholesale-sized containers under the Fairbank Farms name, was distributed to stores in Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia. That meat was likely repackaged for sale and would likely have differing package and sell-by dates.

The USDA was urging customers with concerns to contact the stores where they bought the meat.

Fairbank's CEO, Ron Allen, urged consumers to check their freezers for the recalled ground beef.

Located in the southwestern corner of New York a few miles from the Pennsylvania line, Fairbank Farms has had two other voluntary recalls over the last two years, according to the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

In September 2007, the company recalled 884 pounds of ground beef products because they may have been contaminated with E. coli, the agency said. And in May 2008, it recalled 22,481 pounds of ground beef products that may have contained pieces of plastic.

Symptoms of E. coli infections include stomach cramps that may be severe and diarrhea that may turn bloody within one to three days. E. coli infections can sometimes lead to complications including kidney failure.
Symptoms usually show up three to four days after a person eats contaminated food, although in some cases it can be as long as eight days. Officials said anyone having symptoms should immediately contact a doctor.

Russell, the CDC spokeswoman, said the E. coli strain involved in the recall, 0157:H7, infects about 70,000 Americans a year and kills 52.



Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09306/1010240-34.stm?cmpid=business.xml#ixzz0VjZTEn90

 

[Rwilmer]

Re: CDC: Contaminated beef may be linked to 2 deaths

Re: CDC: Contaminated beef may be linked to 2 deaths

I live in Rochester.

 

[Tonka]

Re: CDC: Contaminated beef may be linked to 2 deaths - possible E. coli 0157:H7

http://www.dbtechno.com/health/2009...-recall-ground-beef-contaminated-with-e-coli/

Fairbank Farms Recall Ground Beef Contaminated with E. Coli

Boston (DbTechNo) - It appears that ground beef produced by Fairbank Farms of Ashville, maybe contaminated with E. coli bacteria and the cause of numerous deaths in the United States.

So far, according to the CDC 2 people have died and 16 taken to hospital with E. coli poisoning after eating fresh ground beef distributed by the company.
Symptoms of E. coli poisoning include: vomiting and diarrhea, and usually appear 3 to 4 days after a person eats contaminated food.

Almost 546,000 pounds of fresh ground beef is being recalled by Fairbank Farms but because the beef was sold in a variety of different ways, the process is taking a while to initiate.

According to the company, the ground beef that is being recalled was used to create various foods such as hamburger patties, meatloaf and meatball mix.

The majority of ground beef being recalled, was sold in Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

 

[Tonka]

Re:2 dead, 28 sick from E. coli outbreak

Re:2 dead, 28 sick from E. coli outbreak

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/03/beef.recall.e.coli/

2 dead, 28 sick from E. coli outbreak

November 3, 2009 2:37 p.m. EST
Consumers should ask at their point of purchase if products are subject to recall, the USDA said.STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Two people have died after becoming infected with E. coli in this outbreak
E. coli is a bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, kidney failure

New York (CNN) -- Two people have died and 28 people have fallen ill with matching strains of E. coli after an outbreak in ground beef, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Sixteen of those people are in hospitals and three have developed kidney failure as a result of the contamination, the CDC said late Monday.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last week that Fairbank Farms in Ashville, New York, was recalling more than half a million pounds of fresh ground beef products that may be contaminated with a strain of E. coli, a potentially deadly species of bacteria.

The products subject to recall were sent to retailers including Trader Joe's, Price Chopper, Lancaster and Wild Harvest, Shaw's, BJ's, Ford Brothers, and Giant Food Stores. The exact products affected are listed on the USDA's Web site.

The recall was for distribution centers in eight states, but Fairbank Farms said some retailers may have sent the affected beef to other states.

Each package is printed with "EST. 492" inside the USDA mark of inspection or on the nutrition label. They were packaged on September 15 and 16 and may have been labeled at the retail stores with a sell-by date from September 19 through 28, the USDA said.

Consumers should ask at their point of purchase if the products they have purchased are subject to recall, the USDA said.

E. coli can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure. The very young, seniors and people with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.

The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service advised consumers to safely prepare raw meat products, whether they are fresh or frozen, and only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

The only way to be sure ground beef is cooked to a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer to measure the internal temperature, the FSIS said.

Of the 28 people infected with E. coli from the outbreak, eight are in Massachusetts; four each are in Connecticut and New Hampshire; two each are in Maine, Pennsylvania and South Dakota; and one each is in California, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Vermont, according to the CDC.