By Candess Zona-Mendola of MakeFoodSafe

The Minnesota Department of Health announced this week an outbreak of E. coli illnesses linked to Acapulco Mexican Restaurant in Andover, Minnesota. The investigation appears to be ongoing, but the health agency contends that the outbreak is over. Minnesota Department of Health’s Information and Communications Officer Doug Schultz, Information and Communications Officer confirmed, “[w]e are investigating a cluster of STEC cases that ate at the Andover location.”

E. coli/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

While the public awaits more news, they are calling for the health department to give some more details on the outbreak. The announcement has not mentioned how many people were sickened, hospitalized, or potentially developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a concerning and potentially deadly form of kidney failure. It is also not currently known what food item may be at the center of the outbreak.

If you have eaten at Acapulco Mexican Restaurant in Andover, Minnesota and have become sick, medical attention is recommended. The symptoms of an E. coli infection include: mild fever, severe and painful stomach and abdominal cramps, and diarrhea that is usually bloody and watery. Also, don’t forget to report your illness to the Minnesota Department of Health.