Ground chuck sold at Florida Publix stores is the likely source of an E. coli O26 outbreak that has sickened 18 people. The E.coli lawyers at Pritzker Hageman law firm are calling for transparency in the investigation after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said the meat, sold at various Publix locations between June 25 and July 31, was produced by an as-yet-unnamed supplier.
The USDA is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state and local health officials on the ongoing investigation of the outbreak.
Publix has issued a recall for ground chuck. Consumers who have purchased ground chuck from Publix this summer should check their freezers. The recalled meat was sold between June 25 and July 31at Publix stores in the following Florida counties:
- Brevard
- Charlotte
- Citrus
- Collier
- Desoto
- Flagler
- Hernando
- Highlands
- Hillsborough
- Indian River
- Lake
- Lee
- Manatee
- Marion
- Orange
- Osceola
- PASCO
- Pinellas
- Polk
- Sarasota
- Seminole
- St. Lucie
- Sumter
- Volusia
E. coli Symptoms
E. coli O26 is a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) bacteria. STEC cause blood vessel damage which can lead to one of the main symptoms of an E. coli infection, bloody diarrhea. E. coli symptoms, which also include abdominal cramps, usually develop between two and eight days of exposure and last about a week. A STEC infection can lead to serious illness such as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) which can cause kidney failure, seizure, stroke, coma, and death.
Contact an E. coli Lawyer
To contact the E. coli team at Pritzker Hageman, a national food safety law firm, call 1 (888) 377-8900 or use the form below.