Pittsburgh – At least 12 people fell ill with E. coli infections after eating at The Porch, a restaurant located in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in September or October of 2013.
The Allegheny County Health Department is investigating the cause of an E. coli outbreak among customers of The Porch restaurant. According to public health officials, 8 of the diners with reported E. coli infections were hospitalized in October.
According to news reports, laboratory tests for E. coli O157:H7 showed samples of ground beef patties were positive for the bacterium. Public health officials were reportedly unable to tell whether E. coli bacteria came into the restaurant on beef or was introduced to the hamburgers in another way.
Denver – The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced that an E. coli outbreak had been traced to 3 Denver-area Jimmy John’s restaurants between October 7 and October 15, 2013.
Sprouts served on Jimmy John’s sandwiches have caused multiple E. coli and Salmonella outbreaks in the past.
For a time, Jimmy John’s stopped serving sprouts on sandwiches due to the risk of foodborne pathogens. Other fresh produce items, such as lettuce and tomatoes have been identified as the source of E. coli or Salmonella outbreaks, as well.