Officials focus on MSU food in E. coli outbreak
Source of Article: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080923/NEWS06/80923037/1008/NEWS
Investigators stress they have not honed in on a particular food or source
of food — only that “they’re focusing on food from off-campus and delivered to
campus,” Marcus Cheatham, spokesman of the Ingham County Health Department,
said earlier today.
Lab tests have confirmed seven of more than 30 possible cases as an
infection by E. coli 0157:H7, a possibly-deadly strain especially for the
elderly and young children. Sixteen of the 30 remain “probable cases” as
investigators await lab results. Others have been ruled out.
The MSU students are expected to fully recuperate, health officials have
said.
The outbreak seems to have been confined. No new cases that were
ultimately confirmed have been reported since Sept. 13. Though the last
possible case was reported on the 18th, several of the latter cases have been
ruled out, Cheatham said.
The department continues interviewing students and waiting for results
from stool samples from some of several of students who either sought medical
treatment or called the health department to report gastrointestinal problems
after MSU officials e-mailed students last week to alert them to the E. coli
outbreak.
The interviewing is tedious because investigators are asking students to
recall the details of what they ate more than a week ago.
“It’s ‘Did you have lettuce on that grinder?’” Cheatham said, stressing
that investigators have not yet honed in on a particular food or condiment.
“It’s sort of gumshoe work at this point,” he said.
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