Mystery E. Coli Outbreak Stumps Officials Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.
Mystery E Coli Outbreak Stumps Experts
Officials unable to pinpoint contaminated Wendy s ingredient
Rodolfo Parulan Jr. / Getty Images The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the E. coli outbreak linked to sandwiches sold at Wendy's is over. However, public health officials were unable to determine the specific ingredient sold by the fast-food chain that was causing people to get sick. The strain of E. coli associated with the outbreak infected 109 people across six states and sent 52 to the hospital. No deaths were reported. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Officials found that more than 80 percent of infected people who were interviewed reported eating at Wendy's before getting sick. Many of them said they consumed romaine lettuce served on burgers and sandwiches. Yet, investigators were unable to conclude if that was the tainted ingredient. How to avoid E coli
Consumers are advised to follow these steps to avoid an E. coli infection. • Clean hands, utensils, cutting boards, counters, and fresh fruits and veggies, even if you plan to cut or peel them. • Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs from ready-to-eat foods in both your refrigerator and grocery basket. Use separate cutting boards and plates for raw meat, poultry and seafood. • Cook your food to the with the help of a food thermometer. • Chill perishable food within two hours (one hour if it's above 90°F outside) and thaw frozen items in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Symptoms of an E c oli infection
Most people with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, like the strain identified in this outbreak, experience severe . Symptoms usually begin three to four days after swallowing the bacteria. Most infected people recover within a week. Standard care includes rehydration and other supportive measures to alleviate symptoms. Antibiotics are generally not recommended. Some people may develop a more serious infection resulting in hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure. A health care provider should be contacted if diarrhea lasts more than three days without improvement, is bloody or is accompanied with a fever higher than 102°F. Other symptoms that require medical attention include so much vomiting that liquids can't be kept down, and any like infrequent urination, dry mouth and throat, or feeling dizzy when standing up. Anyone who has symptoms of an E. coli infection is advised to write down what they ate the week before feeling ill, report their illness to the local health department and answer questions from public health officials about their sickness. Aaron Kassraie writes about issues important to military veterans and their families for AARP. He also serves as a general assignment reporter. Kassraie previously covered U.S. foreign policy as a correspondent for the Kuwait News Agency’s Washington bureau and worked in news gathering for USA Today and Al Jazeera English. MORE ON HEALTH AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Restaurants offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS