The latest word from Maricopa County Public Health spokeswoman Jeanene Fowler is that 79 people have fallen ill with E. coli O157:H7 after dining at Federico’s Mexican Restaurant in Litchfield Park, AZ, around July 18. This is probably the final count of cases, but the exact source of the contamination is still under investigation. Of those ill, at least 23 were, or currently are, hospitalized. Most of those patients have since been discharged. The restaurant voluntarily closed for three days to clean all surfaces and bring in new food after reports of illness tied it to the outbreak. It has since reopened, and no new illnesses have developed since the closure. Food safety law firm Marler Clark has filed lawsuits on behalf of a number of Federico’s customers who fell ill in the outbreak, including two minors who were hospitalized and developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a life-threatening kidney disease associated with severe E. coli infections. Marler Clark underwrites Food Safety News.
