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 MichiganStateUniversity, the University of Michigan
and the Lenawee County Jail. Other cases are in St. Clair County, WayneCounty,
MacombCounty,
OaklandCounty
and KentCounty.
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’straceback
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.
