At least 15 people are sick in Minnesota from ground beef tied to E. coli recall

At least 15 people in Minnesota have been sickened by E. coli poisoning tied to a national recall of more than 167,000 pounds of potentially tainted ground beef, federal health officials said.

Detroit-based Wolverine Packing Co. recalled the meat this week after Minnesota state agriculture officials reported multiple illnesses and found that a sample of the product tested positive for E. coli O157:H7, which can cause life-threatening infections.

To date, no illnesses have been reported outside of Minnesota, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department. People fell ill between Nov. 2 and Nov. 10. The investigation is ongoing.

The Minnesota Department of Health previously reported illnesses among people who had eaten burgers at multiple locations of the Red Cow restaurant chain in the Twin Cities and Rochester, as well as at Hen House Eatery in Minneapolis.

E. coli is a type of bacteria found in the environment, including water, food and in the intestines of people and animals. There are many kinds of harmless E. coli, but a few types can make people seriously ill.

Symptoms typically occur quickly, within a day or two of eating contaminated food. That can include fever, vomiting, diarrhea and signs of dehydration. The infection can cause a type of serious kidney injury, especially in kids younger than 5. E. coli poisoning in young children requires immediate medical attention.

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