Despite the lettuce testing negative, officials maintain that the caterer’s salads remain under suspicion as a potential source.
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — On Friday, test results dismissed one of the suspected sources of an E. coli outbreak, which has afflicted over 100 individuals in St. Louis County.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services conducted tests on an unopened package of iceberg lettuce from Andre’s Banquet Center, finding no traces of E. coli. This comes after approximately 106 attendees of various events, including school band functions and funerals, became ill following meals catered by the business.
The St. Louis County Health Department cautioned that a negative result doesn’t definitively exclude the salad as the outbreak’s source. Often, E. coli is found in isolated pockets in food, meaning sampling might miss the bacteria entirely, leaving Andre’s as a potential culprit.
On Thursday, local hospitals reported that two patients have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a rare and severe disease that can result from an E. coli infection, potentially leading to kidney failure.
Dr. Farrin Manian from Mercy Hospital noted, “Although HUS affects less than 10% of those with E. coli O157:H7, its consequences are serious, often requiring hospitalization.”
John Armengol Jr., owner of Andre’s, expressed relief over the negative results but pledged continued cooperation with health authorities to pinpoint the source of the outbreak, which also affected people not present at Andre’s events.
Additionally, several lawsuits have been filed against Andre’s, including by parents of sickened students and an individual who tested positive for E. coli.
National food poisoning lawyer Jory Lange, representing a hospitalized client, asserted, “Andre’s is, undeniably, the common denominator. It’s essential to determine the root of the contamination.”
Lange argued for rigorous testing of Andre’s remaining food supplies to possibly connect the outbreak to specific products served at the events.
Health officials have yet to clear Andre’s of suspicion, emphasizing that the strongest link to the outbreak is the consistent symptoms shared by many, all of whom consumed Andre’s salads.
Vocabulary List:
- Afflicted /əˈflɪktɪd/ (verb): Suffering from a disease or illness.
- Cautioned /ˈkɔːʃəned/ (verb): Advised someone of possible danger or problems.
- Contamination /kənˌtæmɪˈneɪʃən/ (noun): The action of making something impure or harmful by adding something else.
- Hospitalization /ˌhɒspɪtəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/ (noun): The act of admitting someone to a hospital for medical treatment.
- Rigorous /ˈrɪɡərəs/ (adjective): Extremely thorough and accurate.
- Symptom /ˈsɪmptəm/ (noun): A physical or mental feature that indicates a condition of disease.
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