Glenn’s Market, in Watertown, Wisconsin, recently recalled over a ton of ground beef sold between December 22, 2012 and January 4, 2013 because the beef was implicated in an E. coli outbreak that has, to date, sickened at least 3 Wisconsin residents. Investigating health officials are concerned that the contaminated ground beef may still be in consumers’ freezers, and are warning the public not to consume any ground beef purchased from Glenn’s during that time frame. Better yet, if you’ve got any ground beef at all from Glenn’s, regardless of when you bought it or think you bought it, do not eat it.
Wisconsin has a bit of a checkered past with E. coli. That may be due, in part, to the quality of its public health officials in detecting and stopping outbreaks, but whatever the case the two (Wisconsin and E. coli) have tangoed before.
Using the outbreak database sponsored by Marler Clark, one can view a history of E. coli outbreaks in Wisconsin:
- In early 2012, Jimmy Johns sandwiches (actually, sprouts on Jimmy Johns sandwiches) caused at least 25 E. coli O26 illnesses in multiple states, including 1 in Wisconsin.
- 2010: E. coli O157:H7, Hazelnuts: 8 people were sickened in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
- 2009: E. coli O157:H7, Romaine Lettuce: 19 people were sickened in multiple states, including Wisconsin, in a cluster of illnesses likely linked to lettuce. Marler Clark represented a victim in Utah.
- 2009: E. coli O157:H7, cookie dough: Nestle’s cookie was linked to 80 illnesses across the country, including in Wisconsin. Marler Clark represented multiple victims of the outbreak.
- 2007: E. coli O157:H7, ground beef: Wisconsin residents were among 47 ill in an outbreak also involving people in Minnesota, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Marler Clark represented victims from Minnesota and Tennesee.
- 2006: E. coli O157:H7, other STECs, bagged spinach. Over 200 people were sickened and 5 died in a nationwide outbreak linked to Dole brand bagged spinach. Marler Clark represented dozens of the victims.
- 2005: E. coli O157:H7, lettuce. Another Dole outbreak, this one sickened 32 people in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Oregon. Marler Clark represented victims in Wisconsin.