Frozen pot pies linked to salmonella outbreak

The Illinois Department of Public Health is again warning consumers to throw out frozen pot pies that could be linked to a multistate salmonella outbreak. ConAgra Foods voluntarily recalled all varieties of frozen pot pie products last month, produced under multiple brand names.

These frozen pot pies include all varieties in 7-oz. single-serving packages with an establishment number "P-9" or "Est. 1059" printed on the side of the package. The department continues to receive reports of those sickened by eating the recalled food during the past month. To date, Illinois has seen 15 cases of salmonella believed to be associated with eating the recalled pot pies, compared to six cases as of October 12, when the first warning was issued.

Nine people sickened AFTER the October 12, 2007 recall.  The CDC has reported that between January 1, 2007 and October 29, 2007, at least 272 isolates of Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:- with an indistinguishable genetic fingerprint have been collected from ill persons in 35 states. Ill persons whose Salmonella strain has this genetic fingerprint have been reported from Arizona (1 person), Arkansas (4), California (18), Colorado (9), Connecticut (7), Delaware (5), Florida (2), Georgia (2), Idaho (11), Illinois (7), Indiana (3), Iowa (1), Kansas (4), Kentucky (9), Massachusetts (7), Maryland (7), Maine (2), Michigan (3), Minnesota (7), Missouri (18), Montana (6), Nevada (6), New York (10), North Carolina (2), Ohio (11), Oklahoma (1), Oregon (4), Pennsylvania (18), Tennessee (6), Texas (4), Utah (12), Virginia (9), Vermont (2), Washington (27), Wisconsin (24), Wyoming (3).

If since October 12, when the CDC reported 7 illness in Illinois, Illinois Department of Health has reported 8 more illnesses – double that.  Can we assume that  the CDC number of 272 reported October 12 is twice that now?  We have been retained by nearly 40 people and families sickened by these pot pies and have filed 5 lawsuits since October.