Tainted hamburger sickens two

Triangle health officials are warning cooks to be cautious with frozen meat

DURHAM -- Hamburger patties bought last month at a Durham Sam's Club and served at an Orange County cookout were infected with E. coli and sickened two youngsters. Now, health officials are asking grillmasters to be wary of the frozen meat.

The State Laboratory of Public Health announced Wednesday that American Chefs Selection Angus Beef Patties bought Sept. 14 and served a day later in Orange County infected a 10-year-old from Durham and a 14-year-old from Orange. Each had bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramping three days after the cookout, but both have since recovered, health officials said. Neither developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious complication that can stem from E. coli infection.

Public health investigators contacted everyone at the cookout and are confident nobody else was infected, said Donna King, health educator with the Orange County Health Department. King did not know how many people attended the cookout.

The same hamburger bought at a Sam's Club in Minnesota caused four cases of E. coli infection there, leading the packer to recall more than 844,000 pounds of the patties.

In the Triangle, officials are urging people to look out for the product.

"Our big message is: 'Check your freezers,' " King said. "If you have this product, get rid of it."

E. coli symptoms can include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea. Diarrhea begins as loose, watery stools, with stools often turning bloody within one to three days. People typically become ill two to five days after eating contaminated food. E. coli infection should not be treated with antibiotics, which can cause additional complications.