FSIS became aware of the E. coli O26 problem on August 5 when the agency was notified by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources of an E. coli O26 cluster of illnesses. In conjunction with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Services, and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, two case-patients were identified in Maine as well as one in New York with a rare, indistinguishable pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern as determined by PFGE subtyping in PulseNet. PulseNet is a national network of public health and food regulatory agency laboratories coordinated by the CDC. Illness onset dates range from June 24 through July 16, 2010.
FSIS determined there is an association between the ground beef products subject to recall and the cluster of illnesses in the states of Maine and New York. FSIS is continuing to work with affected state public health partners and the processor on the investigation.