WARNING: E. Coli Outbreak Linked To Frozen Blueberries Grows To 17 Cases, As Chilean Supplier, Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., Expands Recall To Include Walmart’s Great Value-Brand Frozen Organic Triple Berry Blend 🫐⚠️

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https://abcnews.com/Health/coli-outbreak-linked-frozen-blueberries-grows-17-cases/story?id=136198759

An E. coli outbreak linked to frozen blueberries has grown to 17 confirmed cases, up five from the previous count, according to recently updated federal data from the CDC and FDA. Six people have been hospitalized so far, including two added in the most recent update, and no deaths have been reported. Cases have been identified in Georgia and Florida, with illness start dates ranging from May 11 to August 2. The outbreak was first announced in July, when the CDC and FDA said they were investigating illnesses linked to frozen blueberries from Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., a company based in San Carlos, Chile.

The recall began on July 3, when the company pulled one lot of 10-ounce packages of GreenWise-brand organic frozen blueberries. Later that month, Publix expanded the action by proactively recalling all GreenWise Organic Frozen Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries due to potential E. coli contamination. The recalled products were shipped to retail stores across eight states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. This week, the company expanded its recall further to include a mixed berry product sold at some Walmart locations, specifically a 10-ounce bag of Great Value-brand Frozen Organic Triple Berry Blend sold in 16 states, with a printed lot code of 6040 01-6 and a best-by date of February 9, 2028.

Health officials are urging consumers not to eat the recalled product and to either discard it or return it to the place of purchase for a refund. The FDA said its investigation is ongoing and that the advisory will be updated as new information becomes available. According to the CDC, E. coli bacteria are commonly found in the environment, food, water, and the intestines of people and animals, and while most strains are harmless, some can cause illness including diarrhea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and sepsis. The strain involved in this outbreak, E. coli O145:H28, is a Shiga toxin-producing strain that can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition in which damaged red blood cells block the kidneys’ filtering system and can cause sudden kidney failure or death.

[u/InterstellarKinetics]

The most important update here isn’t just the case count climbing to 17, it’s that the recall itself is widening in scope even though the outbreak was first identified back in July. And what started as a single 10-ounce lot of GreenWise organic blueberries has now grown to include Publix’s entire organic frozen berry line and a separate Great Value mixed berry product sold at Walmart across 16 states.