Sprouts Linked to E. coli Outbreak in Washington and Idaho
U.S. health officials are investigating a multi-state outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) O121infections linked to raw clover sprouts that have sickened as many as 10 people, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced May 22. Half of those who fell ill have been hospitalized, the FDA said, but no one has developed hemolytic uremic syndrome and no deaths have been reported.
The FDA said it is investigating the outbreak — which has been linked to raw clover sprouts from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts LLC of Moyie Springs, Idaho — along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local officials. A CDC report said that as of May 21, there were seven confirmed and three probable cases of E. coli illnesses, three in Idaho and seven in Washington.