E. coli outbreak linked to frozen blueberries grows to 17 cases
Five more cases have been confirmed in an E. coli outbreak linked to frozen blueberries, bringing the total number of cases to 17, according to recently updated federal data.
Six people have been hospitalized so far, with two hospitalizations included in the most recent update. No deaths have been reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.
Cases have been reported in Georgia and Florida with illness start dates ranging from May 11 to Aug. 2, the federal health agencies said.
In July, the CDC and FDA announced they were investigating an outbreak linked to frozen blueberries from Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A., of San Carlos, Chile.
On July 3, the company said it was recalling one lot of frozen GreenWise-brand organic blueberries in 10-ounces packages.
Later that month, Publix said it was proactively recalling all GreenWise Organic Frozen Whole Blueberries and Whole Mixed Berries due to potential E. coli contamination.
The recalled product was shipped to retail stores in eight states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
This week, the company expanded its July recall to include one lot of a mixed berry product sold at some Walmart locations.
The 10-ounce bag of Great Value-brand Frozen Organic Triple Berry Blend was sold at Walmart stores in 16 states with a printed lot code of 6040 01-6 and best-by date of Feb. 9, 2028.
Health officials are advising consumers not to eat the product and either throw it away or return it to the place of purchase for a refund.
"FDA's investigation is ongoing, and this advisory will be updated with additional information as it becomes available," the agency wrote on its website.
E. coli are bacteria found in many places, including in the environment, foods, water and the intestines of people and animals, according to the CDC.
Most E. coli are harmless but some can make people sick, causing symptoms including diarrhea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia and sepsis.
E. coli O145:H28 is Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, which can lead to a serious condition called hemolytic uremic syndrome, in which damaged red blood cells block the filtering system in the kidneys and, in turn, can led to sudden kidney failure or death.
ABC News' Youri Benadjaoud contributed to this report.
