E. Coli outbreak kills one and sickens dozens in 15 US states but you may not have heard of it
The E. Coli outbreak was linked to romaine lettuce and began in St. Louis County, Missouri, in November, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not reveal the companies responsible for the outbreak
An E. Coli outbreak has quietly swept through 15 states in the US, but it's likely flown under your radar.
The outbreak was linked to romaine lettuce, and it originated in St. Louis County, Missouri, last November. The incident resulted in numerous illnesses and one fatality. Despite concluding its investigation in February, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not publicly disclose which companies were involved, NBC News reports.
Symptoms of E. Coli include bloody diarrhea and severe stomach cramps, prompting advisories for medical consultation if symptoms appear.
An internal FDA report admitted there was "no public communications related to this outbreak," reports the Irish Star.
This silence was attributed to the fact that by the time the source of the contaminated lettuce was identified, the product was no longer on the market.
While the FDA isn't legally obligated to release details about outbreaks, the agency has generally opted for greater transparency in recent years. Frank Yiannas, ex-deputy commissioner of food policy and response at the FDA, expressed concern to NBC News about the lack of disclosure in this instance.
"It is disturbing that FDA hasn't said anything more public or identified the name of a grower or processor," he remarked.
In defense, an FDA spokesperson stated: "The FDA names firms when there is enough evidence linking an outbreak to a firm and there is actionable advice for consumers, as long as naming the firm is not legally prohibited.
"By the time investigators had confirmed the likely source, the outbreak had already ended and there was no actionable advice for consumers."
Investigators at the St. Louis County Public Health Department were eventually able to link at least 115 cases either confirmed or probable to the romaine lettuce incident. The situation has now spiraled into nine lawsuits filed by individuals who claim Taylor Farms, one of America's largest fresh vegetable providers, was responsible for distributing the tainted romaine.
Taylor Farms has rebutted claims pinpointing them as the cause of the E. coli contagion.
The company asserted: "We don't believe Taylor Farms was the source of the referenced recent E. coli outbreaks, based on information collected during thorough third-party investigations and robust food safety controls."
Click here to follow the Mirror US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, sports and entertainment stories.