The recent E. coli outbreak, based largely in Germany but affecting a total of twelve countries, is responsible for at least 22 deaths with thousands more reported ill.
At least one of the victims of the recent E. coli outbreak is in Michigan.
From The Detroit News:
One of the four known victims now in the United States is a Michigan resident who is back home, said Kelly Niebel of the Michigan Department of Community Health. Since early May, thousands have flooded hospitals in Europe, complaining of diarrhea, vomiting and stomach cramps. A surprising number have endured kidney failure, including the Michigan victim. Like the other victims in the United States, each had recently visited the Hamburg area of Germany, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The outbreak appears to have been caused by vegetable sprouts grown in Germany, a German agriculture official said Sunday.
The Diane Rehm Show's first hour today covered the possible causes and effects of the E. coli break in Germany, and also delved into issues surrounding the history of the disease.
The show also covers the Jack in the Box cases in America's Pacific Northwest in the 1990s and the ways in which that event has changed food safety standards in the United States.
-Brian Short, Michigan Radio Newsroom
