Food-borne illness claims one, sickens others in Locust Grove Outbreak's deadly grip on Locust Grove
By Sheila Stogsdill and John David Sutter
Published: August 26, 2008
LOCUST GROVE — An apparent food-borne illness outbreak in northeast Oklahoma has killed one person, hospitalized at least 14 and is sending shock waves of anxiety through the community.
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Some people in Locust Grove, a town of about 1,500 about 50 miles east of Tulsa, are refusing to eat outside their homes, and others are afraid of local water supplies. Tests have not confirmed the source of the contamination.
Kristy Bradley, state epidemiologist, said the majority of the outbreak's victims reported eating at the Country Cottage buffet restaurant in Locust Grove in recent days.
Chad Ingle, 26, of Pryor died Sunday after suffering severe, bloody diarrhea. Family members said Ingle had eaten the previous Sunday at the Country Cottage restaurant. He was hospitalized in Tulsa on Thursday, they said.
Ingle was a newlywed — married this summer— and a baritone gospel singer who released an album, “Under Grace,” in 2007.
The outbreak comes at a time of increased national concern about food safety, with salmonella and E. coli food scares regularly making news. Although Oklahoma has had deadly bacterial outbreaks in the past, they are rare, Bradley said.
Sometimes illnesses result from eating undercooked meat, food in contact with feces, or people preparing food who don't wash their hands after using the rest room. Fruits and vegetables and water can all be contaminated by feces.
Victims have come down with bloody diarrhea, which is consistent with bacterial contamination of food, she said.
People who experience similar symptoms should seek immediate medical help, she said. Those exposed to the contaminants could expect to become ill within a week of exposure, she said.
Tests have not confirmed the source of the contamination. If the local restaurant is the source, “it's premature to say exactly whether we have a contaminated food item that was sold to the restaurant and that may be distributed more widely, or whether we had contamination of food that occurred only at this particular restaurant,” Bradley said.
The state Department of Environmental Quality is also testing local water, but Bradley said the illnesses are more likely related to food.
The 14 hospitalized victims are from Bixby, Pryor, Sand Springs, Locust Grove, Broken Arrow, Peggs, Tulsa and McAlester, according to the state Health Department. At least 20 other people are suspected to be ill on connection with the outbreak, the department says.
St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa reported Monday night that 16 more patients were treated since those numbers were released by thehealth department. Some were admitted to the hospital, some were treated and released, a hospital representative said.
Restaurant owners cooperating
State officials said Country Cottage has cooperated with inspections and was open for business over the weekend.
A Saturday inspection of the restaurant turned up no violations, Bradley said.
The restaurant released a written statement emphasizing that test results have not proven the restaurant is to blame for the outbreak.
“This is a family-owned restaurant that has been serving the community for more than 20 years, and we have always held ourselves to the highest standards for cleanliness, food handling and health compliance,” according to the prepared statement from Amanda Clinton, spokeswoman for the restaurant's owners.
Owners offered their “deepest sympathies” to the Ingle family, and said the restaurant would be closed today.
Funeral services for Ingle have not been arranged, and an official cause of death is pending from the state medical examiner's office.
Deaths: 1
Hospitalized: At least 14
Thought to be ill: 20
Cause: Thought to be bacteria in food
Source: State Health Department
Questions and Answers About E. coli
Q: What is E.coli?
A: E. coli is a common kind of bacteria that lives in the intestines of animals and people. There are many strains of E. coli. Most are harmless. However, one dangerous strain produces a powerful poison. You can become very sick if it gets into your food or water.
Q: How is E. coli spread?
A: Outbreaks often are caused by food that has gotten the bacteria, E. coli, in it. Raw vegetables, sprouts, and fruits that have been grown or washed in dirty water can carry E. coli. It can get into drinking water, lakes, or swimming pools that have sewage in them. It is also spread by people who have not washed their hands after going to the toilet.
Q: What are the signs of E. coli sickness?
A: Bloody diarrhea and stomach pain are the most common signs. People usually do not have a fever, or may have only a slight fever. Some people, especially children under 5 and the elderly, can become very sick. The infection damages their red blood cells and their kidneys.
Q: How is it treated?
A: Your doctor will tell you what is best. Taking medicine on your own may not help you get better, and it could make things worse. Do not take antibiotics or diarrhea medicine unless your doctor tells you to.
Q: What is the government doing to keep food safe?
A: New laws have helped keep food from being contaminated with E. coli. They keep meat safer during slaughter and grinding, and vegetables safer when they are grown, picked, and washed.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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