The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is investigating an apparent E. coli outbreak in which at least 13 victims, aged 16-84, have become ill from ingestion of E. coli 0111 bacteria. According to a spokesperson, Applebee’s restaurants in Woodbury, Roseville, Blaine, Monticello, and Duluth Minnesota are at the heart of an investigation into the E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least 13. A spokesperson for the MDH has revealed that each of the victims became ill after consuming food between June 24 and June 27, with 7 of the reported victims having eaten at Applebee’s. Complicating the investigation, however, is the fact that the other 6 apparently have no link to Applebee’s restaurants, indicating that the source food may have been a product served at Applebee’s that was also served or sold elsewhere.
At present, the investigation remains in its early stages and no definitive source has yet been named. Some early reports, however, implicate Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad, which store owners have pulled from Minnesota menus out of an abundance of caution. As of now, a trace-back investigation is trying to find common sources of food stuffs between those who ate at Applebee’s and those who did not – the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is assisting the MDH in the investigation. A spokesperson for the MDA Rapid Response team, Carrie Rigdon, indicated that the investigation could be over soon, but could also take months to complete, depending on the complexity of the distribution of products.
E. coli 0111 is less common than E. coli 0157:H7, but its symptoms are similar. In fact, according to MDH, there are only about 20 to 30 cases of E. coli 0111 annually in Minnesota, on average. This spike of 13 concurrent cases, Meyer’s indicated, is highly unusual.
So far, at least four of those claiming to have eaten at Applebee’s have been hospitalized. Stephanie Meyer, a MDH epidemiologist, reports these individuals were treated for the symptoms of E. coli, including concurrent dehydration, and have since been released for the hospital. No deaths have been reported and no victim has yet been identified as having developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious and potentially fatal side effect of E. coli poisoning. Meyer also indicated that many more victims may yet be identified given lags in onset, identification, and reporting.
