East Lansing, Michigan
October 3, 2008
Public health officials, with
support from Michigan State
University (MSU), have identified a brand of lettuce as the
source of the recent multi-statewide outbreak of E. coli, an
outbreak that sickened a number of MSU students.
The lettuce, which had been distributed nationally by
Detroit-based vendor Aunt Mid’s Produce Company, is identified
as shredded and chopped iceberg lettuce.
The Michigan Department of Community Health will soon be posting
a news release at
www.michigan.gov/mdch.
The affected lettuce products were immediately removed from
MSU’s dining halls, even though there have been no new cases
with symptom onset reported at the university since Sept. 20.
“We will continue to be as cautious as possible, until this
issue is completely resolved,” said MSU University Physician
Beth Alexander.
On Friday, Sept. 26, the Michigan Department of Community Health
reported 26 cases of genetically linked E. coli were spread
throughout eight Michigan counties. In addition, that same
strain has also been identified in cases in Illinois, New York,
Ohio and Oregon.
Health officials said it was the out-of-state cases that helped
to track down a common distributor of the affected food.
“We recognize the hard work contributed by the Michigan
Department of Community Health, the Ingham County Health
Department, and everyone – including the University Physician,
the Division of Housing and Food Services, MSU students and
staff – who took part in this investigation,” said MSU President
Lou Anna K. Simon. “MDCH’s persistence in getting to the bottom
of this multi-state mystery is most appreciated. It was a great
team effort by everyone involved.”
The week of Sept. 22 MSU made the decision to temporarily
discontinue the service of all cooked turkey products, although
state and local health officials did not recommend it. While
turkey had not been determined as the source of the outbreak,
health officials were considering it an “item of interest.”
Turkey products are now being offered again in MSU’s dining
halls.
As part of the effort to trace the source of the E. coli
outbreak, MSU students were asked to take part in a case control
study. On Thursday afternoon, more than 4,000 questionnaires
were sent to students in Akers, Holmes and Hubbard halls, asking
them to outline their food-eating habits for the last three
weeks.
In less than 24 hours, more than 400 students responded to the
call.
“We were very proud of our students in their efforts to help,”
Alexander said. “They came through in fine Spartan fashion.”
At the Thursday news conference, MDCH chief medical executive
Greg Holzman thanked various institutions involved for their
efforts to keep the state informed, and he thanked them for
assisting in the investigation.
“As a result of this recent outbreak, MDCH is working with the
Michigan Department of Agriculture, Michigan State University,
the Lenawee County Jail, the Centers for Disease Control, the
Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture
and local health departments to track down the common food
source,” Holzman said. “I want to thank everyone for their
cooperation and efforts in this matter to help us find a common
food source.”
Dean Sienko, medical director for the Ingham County Health
Department, said that on an annual basis, the country sees
approximately 73,000 E. coli cases. There are about 2,000 every
year in Michigan and approximately 60 in Ingham County.
The one food item typically associated with E. coli outbreaks is
undercooked hamburger. Health officials advise all chefs to cook
their hamburgers until the juice runs clear.
Thorough hand washing remains the most effective way of fighting
communicable diseases.
“Always wash your hands before preparing any foods,” said
Alexander. “Make sure your countertops are clean and don’t do
any food preparation if you are sick.”
A total of eight MSU students had been hospitalized, seven of
whom had tested positive for E. coli 0157:H7. All have since
been released.
Other agencies which took part in the investigation were the
Michigan Department of Agriculture, the Centers for Disease
Control, the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture. |
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