June 26, 2008
State and federal health officials in Massachusetts are looking into six new cases of the potentially deadly E. coli strain 0157:H7, which may be the continuation of an earlier outbreak. Investigators have not yet identified the source, but think it could be linked to the recalled meat from Nebraska Beef Limited.
Starting in late June, Nebraska Beef of Omaha began recalling 5.3 million pounds of beef, distributed primarily through Kroger stores in the Midwest. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Services took the unusual step of criticizing the company, saying it uses production practices that "are insufficient to effectively control E. coli O157:H7 in their beef products that are intended for grinding."
In the latest cases, Massachusetts health officials say all six victims became ill between July 10 and July 16. They range in age from three to 60 and five of the six were admitted to a hospital for treatment.
"Massachusetts cases were linked by DNA testing and by comparing those results to results from others around the country through a federal food-borne illness surveillance program called PulseNet," the Massachusetts Health Department said in a statement.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 49 E. coli cases in Ohio, Michigan, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, and Utah, all believed linked to the Nebraska Beef contamination.
