Health Law

Country Cottage E. coli Outbreak - Are Criminal Charges on the Horizon?

By Marler Clark

The FBI is on the hunt for…E. coli O111?

In the latest development related to the Country Cottage outbreak, the Oklahoman reported today that FBI officials contacted the Oklahoma health department after the outbreak out of concern that it “might be a criminal situation ... related to several outbreaks recently (in the U.S.)."

Also of interest, every person who became ill ate food prepared by Country Cottage.  The outbreak has turned into one of the US’s largest of this rare strain of E. coli.  To date, one person has died, 72 were hospitalized and 241 others became sick. 

Total known cases: 314

In-patient hospitalizations: 72

Patients who required dialysis for renal failure: 17

Deaths: One

People interviewed: 1,843

Victims who ate food provided by Country Cottage in Locust Grove: Every known case

State and county health workers involved in response and/or inquiry: At least 135

Full post as published by Food Poison Blog on October 19, 2008 (boomark / email).