Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is urging New Hampshire residents not to eat ground beef that has been recalled due to possible contamination.   These products were packaged between September 15-16, 2009 and may have been labeled with sell-by dates from September 19 through 28, 2009, and were sold at various stores throughout the State.    DHHS urges consumers to review this recall information.  There have been three cases of illness in New Hampshire linked to this contaminated meat. All the patients were hospitalized and two have recovered, but one patient died due to complications.

New Hampshire health officials are continuing to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the New Hampshire Grocers Association, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on this investigation.

“E. coli is a bacteria that produces a toxin that is potentially deadly to people,” said Dr. Jose Montero, Director of Public Health at DHHS, “especially young children and seniors. People should prepare all meat products safely and cook to a proper temperature to prevent illness. For this recall people should check their freezers for any affected products and throw them away.”

Symptoms of E. coli illness include fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. Most people recover within 10 days but a small percentage of people become extremely ill, with symptoms including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is characterized by the destruction of red blood cells and kidney failure. Most people recover from HUS but it can be fatal.

For more information about this recall and E. coli visit the USDA website at http://www.usda.gov/www.fsis.usda.govhttp://www.cdc.gov/ or call the DHHS Division of Public Health Services, Communicable Disease Control Section at 271-4496 or 1-800-852-3345 x4496