E. coli Outbreak tied to Red Cow and Hen House
According to press reports, at least 19 people in Minnesota have been sickened by E. coli O157:H7 tied to a national recall of more than 167,000 pounds of potentially tainted ground beef, federal health officials said.
FSIS was notified of illnesses on November 13, 2024, and working in conjunction with Minnesota Departments of Agriculture and Health, FSIS determined that there was a link between the ground beef products from Wolverine Packing Co. and this illness cluster. On November 20, 2024, a ground beef sample collected by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture as part of an outbreak investigation tested positive for E. coli O157. To date, 15 case-patients have been identified in one state with illness onset dates ranging from November 2, 2024, to November 10, 2024. FSIS continues to work with the Minnesota Departments of Agriculture and Health on this investigation.
The infections occurred in people who had eaten hamburgers at Red Cow restaurants in the Minneapolis and Rochester areas, as well as the Hen House Eatery in Minneapolis.
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. 14. The investigation is ongoing.
