CDC Reports Multistate E. coli Outbreak Linked to Cookie Dough
CDC is collaborating
with public health officials in many states, the United States Food
and Drug Administration (FDA), and the United States Department of
Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to investigate
an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections.
As of Monday, June 22,
2009, 70 persons infected with a strain of E. coli O157:H7
with a particular DNA fingerprint have been reported from 30 states.
Of these, 41 have been confirmed by an advanced DNA test as having
the outbreak strain; these confirmatory test results are pending on
the others. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as
follows: Arizona (2), California (3), Colorado (5), Connecticut (1),
Delaware (1), Georgia (1), Hawaii (1), Iowa (2), Illinois (5),
Kentucky (3), Massachusetts (4), Maryland (2), Maine (3), Minnesota
(6), Missouri (2), Montana (1), North Carolina (2), New Hampshire
(2), New Jersey (1), Nevada (2), Ohio (3), Oklahoma (1), Oregon (1),
Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (1), Texas (3), Utah (2), Virginia
(2), Washington (5), and Wisconsin (1).
Ill persons range in
age from 2 to 65 years; however, 66% are less than 19 years old; 75%
are female. Thirty persons have been hospitalized, 7 developed
hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS); none have died. Reports of these
infections increased above the expected baseline in May and continue
into June.
Advice to Consumers
The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention are warning consumers not to eat any varieties of
prepackaged Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough due to the
risk of contamination with E. coli O157:H7. If consumers have
any prepackaged, refrigerated Nestle Toll House cookie dough products
in their home they should throw them away. Cooking the dough is not
recommended because consumers might get the bacteria on their hands
and on other cooking surfaces. The recall does not include Nestle
Toll House morsels, which are used as an ingredient in many home-made
baked goods, or other already baked cookie products.
Individuals who have
recently eaten prepackaged, refrigerated Toll House cookie dough and
have experienced any of these symptoms should contact their doctor or
health care provider immediately. Any such illnesses should be
reported to state or local health authorities.
Consumers should be
reminded they should not eat raw food products that are intended for
cooking or baking before consumption. Consumers should use safe
food-handling practices when preparing such products, including
following package directions for cooking at proper temperatures;
washing hands, surfaces, and utensils after contact with these types
of products; avoiding cross contamination; and refrigerating products
properly.
Advice to Retailers,
Restaurateurs, and Food-service Operators
Retailers,
restaurateurs, and personnel at other food-service operations should
not sell or serve any Nestle Toll House prepackaged, refrigerated
cookie dough products subject to the recall.
http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2009/0625.html
Learn
more about this and other recent outbreaks & incidents >>
|