According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a rapidly spreading E. coli outbreak has sickened scores of individuals and hospitalized nine more in Ohio and Michigan.
The CDC revealed in a news statement on Wednesday that 29 people had been ill as a result of an unknown cause outbreak.
E. Coli Symptoms
There have been no confirmed deaths as of yet, even though the initial infection occurred in July. Because the origins of the outbreak are unknown, the number of afflicted people may rise over time. The bacteria has infected humans ranging in age from 6 to 91 years old. During its inquiry, the CDC said it would utilize its PulseNet system to find the source of the incident. According to the FDA, the real number of affected people may be larger and present in other states.
If a person suspects they have E. coli, the CDC advises them to keep a record of what they ate in the week preceding the infection, report the sickness to a local or state health department, and answer any further inquiries about the disease from public health officials.
The symptoms of E. Coli infection differ from person to person, but they commonly include severe stomach pains, diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. As per CDC, most people recover in five to seven days. Some infections are moderate, while others can be fatal, according to Fox News.
According to CBS station WBNS, an Ohio Department of Health representative stated instances reported in the state have come from Clermont, Cuyahoga, Franklin, Wood, Lorain, Lucas, Mahoning, and Summit counties, and that four of the nine cases needing hospitalization are in Ohio.
The CDC, like health officials in Michigan and Ohio, is urging people to take additional measures when handling food to limit their chances of consuming or transmitting E. coli. It is suggested to wash hands, utensils, and surfaces that may come into touch with food; wash produce; separate raw foods from cooked meals; and refrigerate anything perishable. Health experts also advised using a thermometer to ensure that items are cooked at a high enough temperature to destroy the bacteria.
At the end of 2019, about 200 people in more than half of the United States were ill after eating infected romaine lettuce, in one of the most recent large E. coli outbreaks. Months after reopening the lettuce to the public, the Food and Drug Administration reported that cow manure likely contributed to the contamination owing to the proximity of cattle to product fields, CBS News reported.
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E. Coli Prevention
Meanwhile, the CDC recommends good hand hygiene and food handling procedures for E. coli prevention. This involves washing hands with soap and water before and after handling food, using the restroom, and interacting with animals and their habitats.
Officials also recommend avoiding allowing raw meat, poultry, eggs, or cooked food to lie at room temperature for more than two hours, not placing cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat or poultry, completely cooking meat, and thoroughly washing fruits and vegetables.
E. coli is normally transferred to people via contaminated foods, but the CDC has yet to identify the source of the current outbreak. The investigation's first findings showed that germs from sick individuals' samples are closely linked genetically, implying that everyone in this epidemic was ill from the same meal.
The outbreak occurs as the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services revealed on Tuesday that it was looking into 98 instances of E. coli sickness, including those not included in the CDC inquiry. In 2021, there were just 20 instances throughout the same time period, as per USA Today.
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