Missouri, Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli O103 and E. coli O121 infections.

As of July 12, 2019, a total of 21 people infected with the outbreak strains of E. coli O103 (6 people), E. coli O121 (13 people), or both (2 people) have been reported from 7 states.

Illnesses started on dates from March 18, 2019, to June 18, 2019. Ill people range in age from 6 to 79 years, with a median age of 25. Fifty-two percent of ill people are female. Of 17 people with information available, 8 (47%) have been hospitalized. No deaths and no cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure, have been reported.

Illnesses that occurred after June 22, 2019, might not yet be reported due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill with E. coli and when the illness is reported. This takes an average of two to three weeks.

Epidemiologic and traceback information indicate that ground bison produced by Northfork Bison Distributions, Inc., is the likely source of this outbreak.

In interviews, ill people answered questions about the foods they ate and other exposures in the week before they became ill. Of 9 people with available information, 6 (67%) people reported that they ate or maybe ate ground bison. Ill people ate ground bison in burgers from several different restaurants or prepared ground bison at home.

Regulatory officials collected records from the restaurants where ill people ate ground bison. These records showed that the ground bison produced by Northfork Bison Distributions, Inc., was sold in several restaurants where ill people ate ground bison.

On July 16, 2019, Northfork Bison Distributions, Inc. in Saint-Leonard, Quebec, Canada, recalled ground bison and bison patties (referred to as Bison Burgers and/or Buffalo Burgers) produced between February 22, 2019, and April 30, 2019.

Consumers should not eat, and restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell, recalled ground bison products.

In Canada, the CFIA has published this list of products recalled in relation to the situation. The Canadian agency reported today that no illnesses had been confirmed in that country.

Brand Name Common Name Size UPC Code(s) on Product
Natural Frontier Foods Bison – ground meat 280 g 6 76842 00147 7 EXP 190311
EXP 190314
EXP 190315
EXP 190316
EXP 190317
EXP 190318
Sensations Extra Lean Ground Bison 280 g 6 23682 11159 0 EXP 190311
EXP 190314
EXP 190315
EXP 190316
EXP 190317
EXP 190318
La Terre des Bisons Bison ground (lean) 1.5 lb 96768420002598 Packed on 19-02-22
Packed on 19-02-25
Packed on 19-02-26
Packed on 19-02-27
Packed on 19-02-28
Packed on 19-03-01
Northfork Canadian Bison Ranch Bison ground regular 1.25 kg 86768420002577 Packed on 19-02-22
Packed on 19-02-25
Packed on 19-02-26
Packed on 19-02-27
Packed on 19-02-28
Packed on 19-03-01
Northfork Canadian Bison Ranch Bison ground regular 4.54 kg /10 lb 86768420002263 Packed on 19-02-22
Packed on 19-02-25
Packed on 19-02-26
Packed on 19-02-27
Packed on 19-02-28
Packed on 19-03-01
Northfork Canadian Bison Ranch Bison ground 10 lbs regular 4.54 kg 96768420111061 Packed on 19-02-22
Packed on 19-02-25
Packed on 19-02-26
Packed on 19-02-27
Packed on 19-02-28
Packed on 19-03-01
Northfork Canadian Bison Ranch Bison Ground 1 lb regular 0.45 kg / 1 lb 96768420111054 Packed on 19-02-22
Packed on 19-02-25
Packed on 19-02-26
Packed on 19-02-27
Packed on 19-02-28
Packed on 19-03-01
Northfork Canadian Bison Ranch Bison Burger 20 x 8oz 2 lb 96768420111092 Packed on 19-02-22
Packed on 19-02-25
Packed on 19-02-26
Packed on 19-02-27
Packed on 19-02-28
Packed on 19-03-01
Northfork Canadian Bison Ranch Bison Burger 4oz x 4 1 lb 96768420111184 Packed on 19-02-22
Packed on 19-02-25
Packed on 19-02-26
Packed on 19-02-27
Packed on 19-02-28
Packed on 19-03-01

In 2010, 10 people were sickened – Tenderized and ground bison meat products were recalled after a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 cases was identified in Colorado and New York state. The meat was produced by the Rocky Mountain Natural Meats Company, located in Henderson, Colorado. The meat was produced in late May and sold to grocery stores nationwide and to food service distributors in Utah and Arizona. The CDC Cluster ID number was 1006COEXH-1.