A New York City resident was confirmed to have fallen ill from E. coli after eating at a Taco Bell restaurant, health officials said.
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 61 cases in five states, most in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware, this is the first time that it has been found in the city.
The Staten Island resident was infected by the same strain of E. coli found in the other confirmed cases, city Health Department spokesman Jeff Cowley said Sunday.
The person, identified only as a Staten Island resident, fell ill and was admitted to the hospital on Nov. 24 after eating at a Taco Bell in the borough.
The person was only tested for the E. coli infection after news emerged of the outbreak, said Health Department spokesman Jeff Cowley. The person was released from the hospital and has made a full recovery.
Officials did not reveal the location where the person ate the meal, but they said it has been sanitized and all produce removed from the site.
Taco Bell officials on Saturday said they had determined that scallions were the likely source of the outbreak. The company said it has switched produce suppliers.
The Staten Island resident was infected by the same strain of E. coli found in the other confirmed cases, Cowley said.
E. coli infection can include bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps or vomiting.
