Contaminated Ground Beef In VA Leads To Illness, Health Alert

VIRGINIA — Tainted ground beef in HelloFresh meal kits sold in Virginia and six other states is likely contaminated with E. coli, officials said.

At least one person in Virginia has been infected in the latest outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

A total of seven people in six states have been sickened by the tainted meat, and six of the seven people have been hospitalized, according to the CDC.

Other states affected include Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York and Washington.

The kits containing the ground beef were shipped from July 2 to 21, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said in a notice. The ground beef came in a 10-0unce package with the label "EST. 46841" next to the USDA mark of inspection. The sides of the packages contained one of two codes: EST#46841 L1 22 155 or EST#46841 L5 22 155.

Anyone who received the kit in July and still has the ground beef in their freezers should throw it away.

E. coli bacteria are usually harmless and actually are an important part of a healthy human intestinal tract, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, some E. coli are pathogenic, meaning they cause illness.

Symptoms of E. coli infection include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody) and vomiting.

• Call your healthcare provider if you have one or more of these severe symptoms:
  • Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
  • Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving
  • Bloody diarrhea
  • So much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down
  • Signs of dehydration, such as:
    • Not peeing much
    • Dry mouth and throat
    • Feeling dizzy when standing up

Consumers with questions regarding the public health alert can contact hello@hellofresh.com or by live chat.

With reporting from Patch editor Megan VerHelst.