Count of E.coli’s Victims Reaches 300

Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) has confirmed that the count of victims of the E. coli O111 epidemic in northeastern Oklahoma has reached 291. Investigation into the epidemic is focusing on Country Cottage buffet restaurant as majority of people who reported sick ate there, between 15 to 17 Aug.

The Country Cottage had also catered to "Ladies Tea" at Bethany Free Will Baptist Church on Aug 16. About 250 people attended the event and 30 were reported to be infected by the bug. Out of these only 1 was reported under “confirmed” category, 22 were under “probable” and others under “suspected” category.

The recent figure 291 includes "confirmed" cases, but doesn't include others who fall in "probable" or "suspected" categories. The disaster has been reported to have struck upon 20 states as per latest statistics released on Friday.

Inquiries by state Health Department officials are still in progression. About 1700 people have been interviewed including all employees of the restaurant under suspect for spreading the bug. Kitchen shelves and food samples have been examined by the inspectors but no source of E.coli bacteria has been found. The information extracted from the interviews needs to be put under serious analysis phase to have a conclusion.

The State Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) tested for bacteria in the well water being used by the Country Cottage restaurant, but there was no trace of the culprit O111 bacteria in the water samples.

E. coli lives in the intestines of cattle and other animals and gets out through manure which is popularly used as a fertilizer. It’s a danger sign for food items that are consumed in raw form like spinach as the bug does not even get washed off with water. At this point of investigation FDA has alarmed people countrywide not to eat the spinach. Supermarkets are also eliminating spinach from the shelves.

O111 variety of E. coli discharges "shiga" toxins, which can cause grave kidney damage or even kidney failure. This outbreak is the biggest non-O157 (common variant of E.coli) outbreak in the U.S. The immune system of children and the elderly are normally affected the worst. A number of patients affected by the epidemic have faced serious kidney damage and some underwent dialysis.

Unfavorable for the Country Cottage restaurant were the reports by the Health Department (available to view online) released after inspections which indicate discrepancy in restaurant's food handling and preparation procedures.

Lawyer Bill Marler who has been involved in several food-borne illness cases revealed that Lawsuits are being filed by effected families. The actual cause of the epidemic still remains an unsolved mystery.