Five cases of E. coli-related illness are being investigated in Wisconsin and one has been confirmed as identical to the strain that sickened consumers in Minnesota, launching Cargill Meat Solutions' ground beef recall over the weekend.
Three of the cases were reported in Milwaukee County and two in southeastern Wisconsin, Milwaukee Health Commission Communications Manager Raquel Filmanowicz told Meatingplace.com. The confirmed case was in Milwaukee County.
"We were made aware of these cases through our communicable diseases area and started making the connections, " Filmanowicz said, adding that test results are expected in the next day or so on the four unconfirmed cases.
Cargill Meat Solutions has recalled about 845,000 pounds of ground beef produced at its Butler, Wis., location and distributed nationwide. (See Cargill recalls ground beef for possible E. coli contamination on Meatingplace.com, Oct. 8, 2007.)
Source: Janie Gabbett on 10/9/2007 for Meatingplace.com