Image by Michael Moriarty from Pixabay
As the pieces come together in this recent E. coli outbreak likely pointing to leafy greens, it is a great time to reflect on how often leafy green outbreaks have popped up in recent history.
It almost makes you want to rethink that salad.
Almost…
So how often have we seen leafy greens outbreaks in the past ten years or so?
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) records indicate just about every year we have seen some kind of leafy green outbreak. Most involving E. coli. But some were associated with other germs like Salmonella, Listeria, and Cyclospora.
How about we start with 2024.
In 2024 we have seen three outbreaks so far associated with leafy greens. Not including the current outbreak we are still waiting on conclusive data from.
In the summer of 2024, 28 people fell sick from the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli strain O157:H7 after eating contaminated spinach.
Earlier in the summer, two people were connected to a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak associated with bagged salad mix.
In the spring of 2024, a large Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak sickened 36 people and hospitalized four after eating organic fresh basil.
In 2023 there was a single leafy greens outbreak.
The leafy greens outbreak that took place in 2023 sickened 19 people with Listeria monocytogenes. Nearly all (18 people) required hospitalization.
There was also a single leafy greens-related outbreak in 2022.
In early 2022, an E. coli O121:H19 outbreak sickened four people. The outbreak was traced back to romaine lettuce. A popular leafy green.
In 2021 there were five leafy greens outbreaks. Several different germs were responsible for these outbreaks. Most of the outbreaks were traced back to packaged salads.
In late 2021, an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak involving packaged salads sickened 10 people and hospitalized four.
In late 2021, another outbreak linked to packaged salad caused severe illness. The Fresh Express outbreak was linked to 10 Listeria monocytogenes illnesses, all required hospitalization. One patient died.
Also in late 2021, another Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to packaged salad was identified. This outbreak was associated with Dole packaged salads. The total number of confirmed Listeria monocytogenes illnesses was 18, with 16 requiring hospitalization. Three patients died.
Just before thanksgiving, an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to spinach sickened 15 and hospitalized four.
In the summer of 2021, Brightfarms packaged salad greens was linked to a Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak that sickened 31 people, hospitalizing four of them.
In 2020, there was a single, large, leafy green outbreak.
This E. coli O157:H7 outbreak associated with leafy greens sickened 40 people. Half (20) experienced illness so severe that they required hospitalization. Four patients developed a kidney complication known as HUS.
In 2019 there were two outbreaks associated with leafy greens. Both involving the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 bacteria.
In summer of 2019, chopped salad kits were the source of ten E. coli O157:H7 illness. Four of those illnesses were severe enough to require hospitalization.
Also in 2019, a romaine lettuce outbreak sickened 167 people. There were 85 hospitalizations associated with this outbreak and 15 cases involving HUS.
There were three outbreaks in 2018 that were associated with leafy greens. Two involved E. coli and the other an intestinal parasite called Cyclospora.
In the summer of 2018 an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to romaine lettuce sickened 62 people. There were 25 sick enough to require hospitalization.
Another outbreak earlier in the summer involved salad mix and the foodborne parasite, Cyclospora.
Early in July of 2018, a huge E. coli outbreak sickened 210 people, hospitalizing 96. There were 27 people who developed HUS. Five people died.
If you count cilantro (we counted basil, so I think it counts), 2017 had two leafy greens outbreaks.
The first happened in summer of 2017 and involved leafy greens. There were 25 people with the same E. coli illness. Nine people were hospitalized, nine people developed HUS, and one person died.
Prior to the leafy greens outbreak, Cyclospora made people sick. This time from cilantro.
One outbreak in 2016 was associated with leafy greens. In this case, packaged salads.
In January of 2016, a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to 19 illnesses was associated with packaged salads. This resulted in 19 hospitalizations and one reported death.
If you believe your illness is connected to an outbreak, there are a few things to consider.
Most instances of foodborne illnesses go unreported. Valuable epidemiological data is lost as a result. Information is key to an outbreak investigation that is early in the traceback investigation phase. Knowing connections between people who have become sick with the same germ helps narrow down the potential food that caused it.
While your illness may be mild, someone in a more vulnerable body may not be so lucky.
Reporting your illness to your local health department provides an opportunity for more data.
If you plan to report your illness, make a list of what you have eaten as soon as possible. Do this while it is still fresh in your mind.
Consider the foods you have eaten in the weeks prior to becoming sick. What did you eat, where did you eat it, who did you eat it with? Where have you visited? These details are important.
If you have suffered from foodborne illness as a result of negligence or liability from a food manufacturer, it is good idea to get advice from an experienced food poisoning lawyer.
If you have been significantly impacted by a leafy greens outbreak and wish to make a legal claim, The Lange Law Firm, PLLC can help!
The Lange Law Firm, PLLC has successfully represented cases involving leafy greens outbreaks and won millions of dollars in products liability and contamination lawsuits. Don’t wait. Call today!
Reach out by phone at (833) 330-3663 or send an email here for a free, no obligation consultation.
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)
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