Updated January 6, 2022, with final case totals, states and hospitalizations. The E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to Josie’s Organics baby spinach has ended, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The baby spinach E. coli outbreak included 15 illnesses in 10 states. Four people were hospitalized, three developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a form of kidney failure associated with E. coli infections.
Contact the Pritzker Hageman E. coli Team
Phone: 1-888-377-8900 | Text: 1-612-261-0856
The people sickened ranged in age from 1 to 76 years old with a median age of 26. Eighty percent of the patients were female. State and local public health officials interviewed people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. Of the 13 people interviewed, 11 reported eating spinach.
Symptoms of an E. coli infection, which include abdominal cramps and diarrhea that can be bloody, usually develop within three days of exposure. The people sickened in this outbreak reported the onset of symptoms on dates ranging from October 13, 2021, to November 8, 2021.
Whole genome sequencing tests performed on the E. coli cultured from each of the patients show the strains are closely related indicating people in this outbreak got sick from the same food. Health officials in Minnesota collected leftover Josie’s Organics baby spinach from a patient’s home. The product had a “best by” date of 10/23/2021. It tested positive for E. coli O157. Whole genome sequencing is being performed on the E. coli found in the spinach to see if it matches the strain cultured from the patients.
The number of illnesses reported from each state is: California (1), Indiana (4), Iowa (1), Michigan (1), Minnesota (2), Missouri (1), Nebraska (1), Ohio (1), Pennsylvania (1), and South Dakota (1).
In Minnesota, the two patients, who are in their mid-20s, said they first experienced symptoms between October 17 and October 23, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. One of them purchased Josie’s Organics organic baby spinach purchased from HyVee. The other patient bought Fresh Thyme organic baby spinach purchased at Fresh Thyme. Both brands are produced by Braga Fresh.
Experienced E. coli Lawyers
Pritzker Hageman E. coli lawyers have represented clients in every major E. coli outbreak in the U.S. If you would like a free consultation with an experienced E. coli lawyer, please contact the Pritzker Hageman E. coli Legal Team. You can reach us by calling 1-888-377-8900, sending a text to 612-261-0856, or by completing the form below. There is no obligation and you don’t pay us unless we win.
Updated January 6, 2022 – This post was updated January 6, 2022, to reflect final totals after the outbreak ended.
Updated December 3, 2021-This post was originally published on November 15, 2021. It was updated on December 3, 2021, to reflect an increase in illnesses, hospitalizations, HUS cases and states