A wave of gastrointestinal illness at a Plymouth camp has been linked to bacteria-tainted ground beef, forcing the supplier of the meat to institute a recall, state public health authorities said last night.
More than 20 schoolchildren and adults from Rhode Island became ill after visiting Camp Bournedale the week of Oct. 13, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health said. No deaths or life-threatening illnesses have resulted from the infections, a state health spokeswoman said.
Tests of ground beef obtained from the nature camp showed that the meat carried a dangerous strain of Escherichia coli bacteria that has caused deaths in other outbreaks. The exact same O157:H7 strain of the bacteria was present in two ill children who were tested.
South Shore Meats Co. of Brockton voluntarily recalled certain ground beef and other beef products, according to the state health department. Company officials could not be reached last night for comment.
Massachusetts authorities are continuing to investigate the outbreak in conjunction with disease trackers from Rhode Island and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Massachusetts health investigators and authorities from the US Department of Agriculture are attempting to identify all of the potentially infected beef products that will need to be recalled and did not have a list of product names and lot numbers available last night, said Jennifer Manley, spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Health.
Additional information on the recalled products will be posted on the Agriculture Department’s website at www.fsis.usda.gov/FSIS_Recalls/Open_Federal_Cases/index.asp.
Cooking meat until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees will kill E. coli germs, which can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and, in the worst cases, kidney failure and death.
