On the heels of an FDA warning letter to Jimmy John’s CEO after 5 food poisoning outbreaks since 2012, yet another outbreak of E. coli has been linked to raw sprouts on Jimmy John’s sandwiches.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and health officials are investigating a 5-state outbreak of E. coli 103 infections linked to raw clover sprouts served at Jimmy John’s.
CDC is concerned that people who recently ate clover sprouts on a sandwich from Jimmy John’s before sprouts were pulled off the menu on February 24 could develop an E. coli food poisoning illness.
As of February 25, 14 illnesses have been reported in Illinois (6), Iowa (3), Missouri (1), Texas (1), and Utah (3) between January 6, 2020 and February 11, 2020. No hospitalizations or deaths were reported.
The symptoms will vary, but often include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting. Some people may have a fever, which usually is not very high (less than 101˚F), according to the CDC.
This strain of E. coli O103 is closely-related genetically to strain that caused a late-2019 outbreak of E. coli O103 infections that were linked to clover sprouts at Jimmy John’s restaurants in Iowa.
Source: Outbreak of E. coli Infections Linked to Clover Sprouts