E. coli in beef linked to at least 12 hospitalizations

STAFF REPORT

At least 12 people - two of them suffering kidney failure - have been hospitalized in connection with a possible E. coli outbreak in beef suspected of having sickened people in nine states, federal health officials said Wednesday.

The victims may have become ill after eating beef produced by JBS Swift Beef Co. of Greeley, Colo., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. The number of people reported ill so far is 23.

The company recalled about 380,000 pounds of beef on Sunday after some illnesses were reported and a government investigation showed a possible connection to the company's product. That recall expanded a June 24 recall of just over 41,000 pounds.

In a statement, JBS Swift said it sold the meat as whole muscle cuts and may have been ground by retailers who purchased it. Raw ground beef is considered the highest risk to consumers.

As part of the recall, Kroger said earlier this week that it is recalling packages of meat with sell-by dates of April 27 to June 1 in Greater Cincinnati, including Dayton, northern Kentucky and southeastern Indiana.

Kroger said the beef in question was sold under its store brands in more than a dozen states.

The CDC said health officials in several states investigating the strain of E. coli found that most ill persons had consumed ground beef, and many reported that it was undercooked. Ground beef with the strain of E. coli was obtained from the home of one person infected.

"At least some of the illnesses appear to be associated with products subject to these recalls," the CDC said in a statement on its Web site.

The first reported illness began on April 2, according to the CDC, and the last on June 13. Wisconsin and Michigan appear to be the hardest hit by the outbreak so far, with six ill people in each state identified by the CDC.

Other cases were reported in California, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico and New York.