At least 15 people in Minnesota have been sickened by E. coli poisoning tied to a recall of more than 167,000 pounds of potentially tainted ground beef, U.S. federal health officials said.
Detroit-based Wolverine Packing Co. recalled the meat this week after Minnesota state agriculture officials reported multiple illnesses and found that a sample of the product tested positive for E. coli O157:H7, which can cause life-threatening infections.
The company tells CTVNews.ca that the affected products were not shipped to Canada. The ground beef was only sent to restaurants in the U.S., a spokesperson said in an email Friday.
To date, no illnesses have been reported outside of Minnesota, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department. People fell ill between Nov. 2 and Nov. 10. The investigation is ongoing.
E. coli is a type of bacteria found in the environment, including water, food and in the intestines of people and animals. There are many kinds of harmless E. coli, but a few types can make people seriously ill.
Symptoms typically occur quickly, within a day or two of eating contaminated food. That can include fever, vomiting, diarrhea and signs of dehydration. The infection can cause a type of serious kidney injury, especially in kids younger than 5. E. coli poisoning in young children requires immediate medical attention.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
With files from CTVNews.ca