E. Coli Infection Claims 7-Year Old's Life as Valley Meats in IL Recalls 95,890 Pounds of Beef

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT
by Christine Bowman

The inadequacy of the nation's food safety protection system is front and center again on the eve of the Memorial Day holiday weekend. A cluster of E. coli infections has prompted the recall of 95,890 pounds of ground beef by Valley Meats, LCC, a meatpacker based in western Illinois. The suspect meat was sold to "institutional distributors," potentially impacting 11 states.

A seven-year-old child in Cleveland died Sunday, and three other Ohioans were reported ill but then recovered from the infection. An unspecified number of people in Illinois and Pennsylvania also have been reported sick from the same E. coli bacteria.

Ohio health officials submitted data on a cluster of infections in the Cleveland area May 13 to the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which issued a Class I recall warning Thursday, May 21. A Class I recall means the health risk is "high": "This is a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death."

Chicago Department of Public Health spokesman Tim Haddock said Friday that area hospitals have been alerted to the recall and E. coli outbreak, but as yet there have been no reports of infections in the Chicago metro area. He cautioned that "no reports" can not be construed to mean no illnesses, since not all victims seek treatment.

Many questions remain regarding the illnesses and the recall as of Friday afternoon. As the holiday weekend drew close to kicking off, neither Valley Meats nor spokespeople at the Illinois Department of Public Health found time to respond to this reporter's inquiries. (Valley Meats answered their phone, but then neglected to send a fax or email of their company's statement on the public health problem. They also neglected to return the Chicago Tribune reporter's call.) One source online reports that much of the meat has already been consumed. The recall does not seem to include meat sold to consumers through retail grocers. Two Ohio restaurants that appear to have been involved will be investigated, Ohio health officials said.

Additional details regarding the Ohio death and related cases are reported at The Cleveland Plain Dealer website:

The three [additional] people who became ill -- a 3-year-old girl, a 24-year-old man and a 71-year-old man -- all have recovered, said Kristopher Weiss, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Health. Health officials determined the cases originated from a common source when the genetic fingerprints of the bacteria that infected each person matched, Weiss said.

The FSIS lists the specific Valley Meats products recalled, most of which were 10-pound or larger cases of ground meat patties. The FSIS website also states:

These ground beef products were produced on March 10, 2009, and were distributed to various consignees nationwide.

The problem was discovered through an epidemiological investigation of illnesses. On May 13, 2009, FSIS was informed by the Ohio Department of Health of a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 infections. Illnesses have been reported in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact a physician.

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure. The very young, seniors and persons with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.

Media and consumers questions regarding the recall should be directed to the company spokesperson at (309) 799-7341.

The Centers for Disease Control provides the following graphic timeline about the typical progress of an E. coli outbreak:

The Illinois Department of Public Health's Q&A page on E. coli outlines the risks that an E. coli infection may involve as well as precautions to take. A more succinct, and more evocative description comes from Barfblog.com: "The pathogen, found in the poop of warm-blooded animals, can be killed with sufficient heat."

A law firm specializing in food-born illness cases provides more context at their website:

The Centers for Disease Control estimate that 73,000 cases of infection occur in this country every year, causing more than 60 deaths. ...

The most commonly found source of E. coli contamination in this country is cattle, although the bacteria can be found in other domestic and wild animals as well. The bacteria is spread through contact with contaminated feces, tainting a variety of food and plant products. ...

E.coli outbreaks often occur from a single source such as hamburger meat processed in a single factory or a food served in a specific restaurant – and they can cause hundreds of people to become dangerously ill.

On this Memorial Day holiday weekend, although the neighborhood cook-out does not seem to be a prime concern, anyone consuming institutional or restaurant burgers should exercise caution. Amidst celebrations and remembrances, thoughts also should turn to the Ohio family mourning the loss of their young daughter.

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT