WASHINGTON, D.C. (Reuters) – An outbreak of food-borne illness, linked to dangerous bacteria in ground beef, sickened 28 people and may have caused two deaths in the U.S. northeast.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said all but three of the illnesses were in the northeast and 18 were in the six New England states. A common strain of E. coli bacteria was involved so tests were under way to see if all of the reported cases have the same cause.
State officials said a death in New Hampshire was linked to the ground beef that is being recalled by Fairbank Farms of Ashville, New York. The state’s health department said a death in the Albany area from E. coli O157:H7 bacteria was being investigated to see if it is linked.
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New Hampshire officials did not release information about the death in their state.
The CDC said the death in New York state last month involved an adult with underlying medical conditions. Two people were hospitalized in New Hampshire.
Produced in September
Fairbank Farms announced the recall Oct. 31 of 248,450 kilograms of fresh ground beef products. The beef was produced in mid-September and probably was labelled for sale by the end of the month, said the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The USDA said an investigation led it to conclude “there is an association between the fresh ground beef products and illnesses in Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts.”
USDA worked with state and federal officials in examining a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses.
A potentially deadly bacteria, E. coli can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration and, in severe cases, kidney failure. The young, the elderly and people with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to food-borne illness.
USDA said it would examine Fairbank Farms’ food safety plan.
A string of food-borne safety scares led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass legislation this summer to require more inspections and oversight of food manufacturers and would give the government new authority to order recalls.
The Fairbank Farms beef went to retailers in eight states – Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
