It appears that fresh produce may once again be responsible for a new outbreak of the dreaded E. coli O157:H7 bacteria in Utah, Colorado, and New York, Food Safety News has learned.
The ongoing investigation is being led by public health agencies in Utah and Colorado; Colorado reportedly has the most cases.
A spokesman for the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) said the cause of the outbreak has not yet been officially sourced, but sources close to the investigation say lettuce from a California supplier is the likely culprit.
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta is assisting in the investigation. “I can confirm we have one case of E. coli,” said a spokesman for the New York Department of Health. New York is letting the western states take the lead.
Updated: 3:27 p.m. | “Five cases of E. coli O157 were confirmed in Colorado from individuals who had eaten at the same restaurant on Sept. 4,” reported Mark Salley, spokesman for the Colorado Department of Environmental Health. “None of the individuals were hospitalized.”
