At least 12 people got sick due to E. coli (Escherichia coli) outbreak in New Hampshire. These people have the same strain of the bacteria. Health officials tracked the source and stated that the outbreak was caused by ground beef.
Authorities stated that 12 people got infected of the same strain of E. coli since June after eating ground beef. It is said that the patients ate at several different places, so the officials are now trying to tract the main source of the bacteria, as reported by Boston CBS.
Marcella Bobinsky, Acting Director of DPHS said in a statement that the Division of Public Health Services along with their federal partners is investigating to find the source of the ground beef that causes the E. coli outbreak. "Ground beef is a known source of E. coli and it is important for people to avoid eating under-cooked ground beef whether at home or at a restaurant," Bobinsky added.
The bacteria strain that made people in New Hampshire ill is known as Escherichia coli O157:H7. It causes bloody stool, stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. The patient gets better in five to seven days in most cases but, it can be severe or life-threatening especially to elderly or young children because of the possible complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), according to Nature World News.
Anti-diarrheal drugs are not advisable to be taken by a patient with E. coli infection as these drugs only slow down the digestive system and prevent the body from getting the toxins out. It is best to take more fluids to avoid dehydration and fatigue and take lots of rest.
The outbreak does not possess any risk to New Hampshire residents, said the state's health officials. However, they recommend that people should follow the food safety practices. They advised consumer to wash hands, counters and cooking utensils if they touched raw meat to prevent cross contamination. Make sure that the meat is properly cooked by using a thermometer. Ground beef should be at least 160°F or 70˚C to say that it is properly cooked.
DPHS, along with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now working to know where the contaminated beef came from. USDA is regulates the safety of meat in the US.