Oklahoma E Coli Outbreak August 2008
An outbreak of the rare strain of E. coli 0111 has sickened 314 people, hospitalized 70, and claimed one life. 65 children were sickened, and 17 remain on dialysis. Most of the sick ate at the Country Cottage restaurant in Locust Grove, Oklahoma, about 50 miles east of Tulsa between August 15 and August 17, 2008. The restaurant has closed while authorities attempt to track down the source of the contamination.
When bacteria was found in the restaurant’s well water, reports suggested that the restaurant’s use of that water during a power outage may have been the source of the outbreak. However a September 2, 2008 statement from the Oklahoma Health Department stated definitively that the well water was not the source and that investigations continue to find it.
Oklahoma health authorities requested help from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), which sent experts to assist in the investigation. As of September 14, 2008, work surfaces had tested clean and the focus was on food items. Investigators are looking into a tea that the restaurant catered.
For updates, visit the main Marler Clark website, as well as www.ecoliblog.com.