Letter To The Honorable Tom Vilsack, Secretary, U.S. Department Of Agriculture

Letter

Dodd Questions Department of Agriculture on E. coli Outbreak in the Northeast

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) wrote to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack today requesting more information about the recent Fairbank Farms recall of fresh ground beef products suspected to be contaminated with E. coli. Dodd is seeking answers from the Department on how this has and will affect Connecticut.

The USDA announced the recall on Saturday and has determined an association between the fresh ground beef products subject to recall and illness in Connecticut.

Full text of letter is below:

Dear Secretary Vilsack:

I am writing out of deep concern over the impact of the recent Fairbank Farms recall of fresh ground beef products suspected to be contaminated with E. coli. The Department of Agriculture has determined an association between the fresh ground beef products subject to recall and illness in Connecticut. This is the second recall of ground beef in the northeast United States due to E. coli in the past week.

I write to inquire about how widespread the problem is and how many cases of illness or deaths have been reported in Connecticut. What are the ages of the victims and are they concentrated in a particular part of the state of Connecticut? Of particular concern to me, is the welfare of children in my state. At present, children and their parents are faced with the rampant spread of H1N1. In past E. coli outbreaks, children and other vulnerable populations have faced dire consequences as a result of exposure to this harmful bacteria. Can you confirm whether any of the ground beef recalled by Fairbank Farms was sold to the school lunch program? And if so, have schools been notified?

As I am sure you know, food-borne illness is most devastating for our country's most vulnerable populations -- older Americans, children, pregnant women and their unborn children, and those with compromised immune systems. Haylee Bernstein, a resident of my state, is a perfect example. In 1996, Haylee ate food contaminated with E. coli when she was only three years old. She spent 14 weeks in the hospital and suffered kidney failure, a seizure that led to bleeding in the brain, and temporary blindness. Now, more than a decade later, she lives with its effects every day. Haylee has a vision deficit, weakness in her right side, and suffers from reduced kidney function. She has been on an insulin pump for seven years.

It is my hope that Haylee's story can be prevented from ever happening to another child in Connecticut and elsewhere. I appreciate your attention to this matter and await further information.

Sincerely,

CHRISTOPHER J.DODD
United States Senator

Source