At least one of the nine E. coli O157:H7 victims has developed hemolytic uremic syndrome – HUS.

John P. Gregg, Valley News Staff Writer, wrote late yesterday that the State of Vermont Department of Health has isolated E. coli, presumably, O157:H7, from an “unopened packaged beef at a South Royalton restaurant and believe that undercooked hamburgers at Worthy Burger were the source of an E. coli contamination that sickened several people in late summer,…”

Also, according to Gregg, “Bradley Tompkins, a health surveillance epidemiologist with the Department of Health, also said two more cases of E. coli have been linked to people who dined at the restaurant, and that there now are six confirmed and three probable cases of E. coli in the Vermont outbreak. All have recovered, although to varying degrees, he said.”

Interestingly, Gregg also reported that, “When they tried to grow the E. coli in the lab, however, it came out to be a slightly different strain than the one found in the patients from Vermont. Still, Tompkins said, the department believes the beef is to blame.”

There has been no recall – yet – and the source of the beef has not been named – yet.

This story is not yet over.

Here is an update:  E. Coli Infections Continue in Vt. | Valley News