Taco Bell says told E. coli outbreak over
Source: Reuters
(Adds details, background) NEW YORK, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Taco Bell Corp. said on Thursday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had informed it that an E. coli outbreak linked to lettuce served at its restaurants in four U.S. states was over. The Mexican-style chain, a unit of Yum Brands Inc. <YUM.N>, said all its restaurants in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware were expected to reopen by Friday, adding it had discarded food and re-sanitized all restaurants affected in the region. "I want to reassure our customers that it is absolutely safe to eat at Taco Bell," said Greg Creed, the company's president. The CDC also indicated that contamination of lettuce likely occurred before reaching the restaurants, Taco Bell said in a statement. Earlier on Thursday, the CDC said 71 people became ill in the outbreak, 53 of whom were hospitalized and eight developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic-uremic syndrome. The FDA and CDC also said they were still trying to track down the source of the contamination. "Based on a number of factors, iceberg lettuce is considered overall to be the single most likely source," the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a statement. The FDA said outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 at Taco John's restaurants in Iowa and Minnesota did not appear to be related to the Taco Bell cases. According to the CDC and USDA, food poisoning sickens 76 million people a year in the United States, sends 325,000 to hospital, and kills 5,000. E. coli is just one of several causes. The bacteria normally live in the guts of animals, including humans, but the 0157:H7 strain can make people sick. It can be found in meat products, manure and on fresh produce that has been in contact with manure. It can also be spread by people and equipment. "Infection with E. coli O157:H7 can cause diarrhoea, often bloody," the FDA said. (Additional reporting by Maggie Fox)
| AlertNet news is provided by |  |