CDC Investigates Outbreak of Human Infections Caused by <em>E. coli</em>

State departments of health and agriculture in Michigan and Ohio, CDC, and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) are investigating a multi-state outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections.

Based on this investigation, as of June 24, 32 confirmed cases have been linked both epidemiologically and by molecular fingerprinting to this outbreak, 15 in Michigan and 17 in Ohio. Fourteen ill persons have been hospitalized. One patient has developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS).

No deaths linked to the outbreak have been reported. Twenty (62 percent) of patients are female. Patients range in age from 4 to 78 years with a median age of 21 years.

CDC and public health agencies across the United States continue surveillance activities to detect additional cases related to this outbreak.

State health and agriculture departments have tested ground beef recovered from patient residences and purchased at Kroger retail stores in Michigan and Ohio. Molecular fingerprinting testing conducted by the Ohio and Michigan Departments of Health and Agriculture Laboratories, in collaboration with PulseNet, the national molecular subtyping network for food-borne disease surveillance, on E. coli O157 isolates isolated from ground beef samples have confirmed the isolates to be the outbreak strain of E. coli O157.

CDC’s OutbreakNet Team initiated a multi-state case-control study in collaboration with Ohio and Michigan Departments of health to epidemiologically determine an association between exposures related to E. coli O157 illness in patients. Analysis of the case-control study data indicates a significant association between illness among case patients and eating ground beef purchased at one of several Kroger stores in Michigan and Ohio. CDC has provided these results to the USDA-FSIS and public health agencies in Michigan and Ohio.

A recall has been announced for ground beef sold at Kroger stores in Michigan and Ohio. More information about this recall may be found at USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service.