Officials from the Ohio Department of Health, the Michigan Department of Community Health, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development are reporting the identification of at least 10 victims of an E. coli outbreak linked to ground beef that has been identified in Portage and Lucas counties in Ohio and Kent, Livingston, Oakland, Ottawa, and Washtenaw counties in Michigan. According to at least one official from Washtenaw County, Public Health spokeswoman Susan Cernigli, the focus in on undercooked ground beef. The source of the beef, however, has not yet been named.
All of the victims were sickened from mid-to-late April, with about half of the victims requiring hospitalization. Advanced sero-typng was used to linked the victims in Ohio to those identified in Michigan. The same sero-type, and a PFGE match, in both outbreaks is definitive proof of a link in the origin of the pathogen. The addition of Ohio should actually make it easier for investigators to track the origin of the E. coli, since additional victims make it easier to establish common distribution patterns.
National food poisoning lawyer Ron Simon, who has litigated many cases in both Ohio and Michigan, is currently investigating this outbreak. “In a case like this,” Simon explains, “it’s just a matter of time until we figure out the source of the outbreak. Investigators, and those who litigate food-borne outbreak cases, are currently using trace-back techniques to identify the supplier of the beef that was sold to these many restaurants.” E. coli lawyer Ron Simon believes that the source will be determined in the next few weeks, and until then, those who believe they are victims should seek medical attention, and if they have serious concerns about their legal rights, call a food poisoning lawyer with experience in food borne illness cases.
If you or a loved one was sickened after eating beef in Ohio or Michigan in mid-to late April, or in early May, Ron Simon & Associates can help you understand and protect your legal rights.
