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24 Michigan E. coli Cases Linked to Cases in Illinois, New York, Ohio and Oregon

By Pritzker | Ruohonen

Seven MSU E. coli O157:H7 cases have been linked by genetic testing to 17 additional cases of E. coli throughout the state of Michigan. The Michigan E. coli cases are located as follows:

• 7 students at MSU
• 3 students at Michigan University
• 5 inmates at Lenawee County Jail
• 3 people in Macomb County
• 2 people in Wayne County
• 2 people in Kent County
• 1 person in St. Clair County
• 1 person in Oakland County

Health officials have genetically linked the Michigan E. coli cases with E. coli cases in several other states: Illinois, New York, Ohio and Oregon.

Health officials do not know the source of the E. coli, and investigations are ongoing. According to WILX-TV, however, the source may be food from a commercial distributor:

There's speculation the food came from a commercial distributor, so MSU says, as a precaution, they've removed frozen turkey and particular produce items from their cafeteria for the time being.

Eight of the nine people hospitalized in this E. coli outbreak were MSU students. All of them have been released.

Full post as published by Food Poisoning Law Blog on September 26, 2008 (boomark / email).