KANSAS CITY - St. Louis County Department of Public Health says it is close to completing its investigation into the E. coli outbreak that is tied to Andre's Banquets and Catering and schools event associated with the Rockwood School District.
County health officials says the E. Coli outbreak has been linked to 115 cases, with 13 of the cases needs hospitalizations and two cases are still in the hospital. Three cases have been diagnosed with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), a severe complication of E. coli.
According to St. Louis County, county health officials found that 25 cases are link towards Andre's according to genetic testing and found that these cases represent the largest identified subcluster in the outbreak, which has also included cases in other states such as Kansas, Illinois, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio and Indiana, which highlights the national scope of the outbreak.
St. Louis County health officials says that across all the subclusters, exposure to leafy greens has consistently emerged as a key factor.
"At this time, the genetic data and food histories continue to suggest leafy greens as an exposure factor, although the attack rates from the St. Louis events are notably higher than those in other areas." says St. Louis County in a release.
The Saint Louis County Department of Public Health says it continues to collaborate with state and national health partners to review data and finalize its findings. Public education on food safety and preventive measures remains a priority as the outbreak investigation nears its conclusion.
Ed Rhode, a spokesman for Andre's Banquets and Catering, sent a statement to KMOX, saying "it was unfair to name Andre's before the lettuce was tested and before the investigation was complete."
"Two weeks ago, state investigators reported lettuce taken from our facility tested negative for E Coli. Nearly a month after its investigation began, St Louis County health officials are still working to find the cause of our local outbreak. Today, they confirmed genetic sequencing of local cases has now connected the outbreak with cases in at least six other states. We have said all along that it was unfair to name Andre's before the lettuce was tested and before the investigation was complete. We look forward to St Louis County finishing its work and finding the source of our local outbreak."