Personal Injury Law

E. coli Cases in Michigan, Illinois, New York, Oregon and Ohio Linked to Aunt Mid's Climbs to 40 - Aunt Mid's Refuses to Name Suppliers

By Bill Marler, Esq.

The number of confirmed E. coli sickness cases continues to climb in Michigan. The Michigan State Department of Community Health says 30 cases with the same DNA fingerprinting have been identified. Some of the cases are from Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and the Lenawee County Jail. Other cases are in St. Clair County, Wayne County, Macomb County, Oakland County and Kent County.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday informed the state health department that other states have E. coli cases with the same genetic link as the 30 in Michigan, six Illinois, two in Ohio and one each in Oregon and New York.  Health officials say some of the recent cases might be associated with industrial-sized packages of iceberg lettuce sold to restaurants and institutions from Detroit-based Aunt Mid's Produce Company.

Dominic Riggio told The Packer that “Aunt Mid’s traceback program is capable of tracking products back to the grower, but he declined to say where the company sourced its iceberg lettuce. Until contamination is verified we don’t want to damage our growers the way we’ve been damaged, without proof, by the Michigan Department of Community Health,” he said.

Full post as published by Marler Blog on September 30, 2008 (boomark / email).