Updated August 22 Health officials are investigating an E. coli outbreak in Wood County, OH. Since July 31, 22 E. coli infections have been reported in the county, an unusually high number compared with the 27 E. coli cases reported in the county over the last five and a half years. Seven of the patients, who range in age from 21 to 60, have been hospitalized.
Contact the Pritzker Hageman E. coli Team
Phone: 1-888-377-8900 | Text: 1-612-261-0856
State health officials are testing the E. coli cultures from all of the patients to identify the genetic fingerprint of the strain. Results show that nine of these cases are linked to each other and to cases in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Indiana. This means the patients were exposed to the same source of contamination.
On August 19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that the source of this four-state outbreak is romaine lettuce on burgers and sandwiches served at Wendy’s. The Wendy’s E. coli outbreak includes at least 65 illnesses, 28 hospitalizations, and four cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a form of kidney failure that affects some E. coli patients, most often small children.
Wendy’s is no longer serving the lettuce it uses for sandwiches in the affected region. The company uses a different type of romaine lettuce for salads. Health officials are working to determine if the romaine Wendy’s used for sandwiches was served or sold at other businesses.
Investigators from Wood County, and state health and agriculture officials, collected food samples from a local Wendy’s and tested them. None of the samples was positive for E. coli. However, a report from the county states, “at this time, we have not seen cases outside of our initial exposure window that report eating at Wendy’s during the incubation period for E. coli.“
Symptoms of an E. coli infection include vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea that can be bloody. These symptoms usually appear within one to three days of exposure but can take up to a week to develop.
Experienced E. coli Lawyers
The E. coli lawyers at Pritzker Hageman have represented clients in every major E. coli outbreak in the U.S. If you would like to request a free consultation with our experienced E. coli Team, please call us at 1-888-377-8900, text us at 612-261-0856 or, fill out the form below.