Over just two weeks, 29 related cases of E. coli were reported in Michigan and Ohio — an indication of a “fast-moving” outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.
“The illnesses in this outbreak started within a short time period very recently. This is certainly concerning and warrants investigation,” CDC spokesman Tom Skinner said.
Health officials don’t yet know the source of the bacteria. But they do know that the cases — 14 in Ohio and 15 in Michigan — are genetically linked. There are hundreds of E. coli strains, but the people who’ve been infected all had a particular one, E. coli O157:H7, which is associated with severe illness.
It’s often linked to foods such as spinach, lettuce, unpasteurized milk, unpasteurized apple cider, soft cheeses made from raw milk, or undercooked or raw meat.
The E. coli strain in question produces a toxin called Shiga that can lead to symptoms such as bloody diarrhea, intense stomach cramps and, in rare cases, kidney failure.
Nine of the patients were hospitalized but no deaths have been reported.
“The hospitalization rate of 31% is consistent with what we would expect to see for E. coli O157 outbreaks,” Skinner said. “We are working to identify a food linked to illness with our investigation partners and will issue advice to people and businesses if a food is identified.”
The Michigan and Ohio public health departments said they are also still trying to figure out the outbreak’s source. James Rogers, director of food safety research and testing at Consumer Reports, said leafy greens could be on the short list of potential culprits.
“If you look at the data, you’ll see that leafy greens kind of lead the way right now with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli outbreaks,” he said.
The CDC recorded the first E. coli case in this outbreak July 26 and the most recent cases Aug. 6. But that data may not include the latest illnesses, according to the CDC, since it typically takes three to four weeks to determine if new cases are linked to an outbreak.
Symptoms of this E. coli strain also don’t tend to show up until three to four days after a person has ingested the bacteria, though it can take up to 10 days.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said in a press release Tuesday that it had received reports of 98 E. coli cases across three counties — Kent, Ottawa and Oakland — in August, nearly five times the number during the same period in 2021. But not all have been linked to the current outbreak.
According to the CDC, the sick people range in age from 6 to 91 years old, and 38% are female.
The Ohio Department of Health said its cases range in age from 11 to 72 years old. Nine cases are male and five are female. Four people have been hospitalized. Cases are dispersed across eight counties, including five in Wood County.
The outbreak may not be limited to Michigan and Ohio.
Since May, the consumer safety website iwaspoisoned.com has received reports of E. coli from people in 14 states, but none was from Michigan or Ohio. The site also detected a roughly 50% uptick in reports of E. coli from January to August relative to the same time period in 2020 and 2021.
It’s not possible to know whether that uptick is related to the current outbreak unless all the cases are genetically sequenced, Rogers said. E. coli infections are not unusual this time of year, he added. People can get infected from food vendors or petting zoos at local fairs, or by ingesting lake water contaminated with the bacteria.
The CDC recommends four steps to reduce your chances of an E. coli infection: clean, separate, cook and chill. That means rinsing fruits and vegetables before preparing or eating them and washing your hands, utensils and surfaces often. Raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs should also be kept separate from other foods.
Meat should be cooked to a safe internal temperature (145 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the type). Perishable food such as dairy or seafood should also be refrigerated within two hours of purchase, and refrigerators should be kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
People with E. coli symptoms such as bloody diarrhea, diarrhea that lasts more than three days, or diarrhea accompanied by a fever higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit should contact their health care provider.
The CDC advises anyone with symptoms to write down what they ate the week before their symptoms started and report their illness to their local health department. Most people recover from E. coli after five days to a week.
