Health Advisory
MULTI-STATE REPORTS OF ILLNESSES ASSOCIATED WITH VARIETIES OF NESTLE PREPACKAGED, REFRIGERATED TOLL HOUSE COOKIE DOUGH

Delaware’s Division of Public Health would like to advise health care providers that since March 2009 there have been 66 reports of illness due to E.coli 0157:H7 across 28 states that may be associated with consumption of raw cookie dough products, specifically Nestle prepackaged, refrigerated Toll House Cookie Dough. Twenty-five persons have been hospitalized, seven with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). Delaware has had one reported case of E.coli 0157:H7 since March 2009, the individual having experienced diarrheal illness.

Patients presenting for health care with gastrointestinal illness symptoms, including fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody) and abdominal pain 12-72 hours after consuming the suspect food product should have a stool culture ordered to rule out infection with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7.

Most healthy adults can recover from E. coli O157:H7 diarrheal illness completely within a week. Young children and the elderly are at highest risk for developing HUS, which can lead to serious kidney damage and even death.

All E. coli O157:H7 infections should be reported to DPH Bureau of Epidemiology at 1-888-295-5156.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning consumers not to eat any varieties of prepackaged Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough due to the risk of contamination with E. coli O157:H7.

The FDA is advising consumers having any prepackaged, refrigerated Nestle Toll House cookie dough products in their home to throw them away. Cooking the dough is not recommended because consumers might get the bacteria on their hands and on other cooking surfaces.

Retailers, restaurateurs, and personnel at other food-service operations should not sell or serve any Nestle Toll House prepackaged, refrigerated cookie dough products subject to the recall.

Nestle USA, which manufactures and markets the Toll House cookie dough, is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation by the FDA and CDC.

Contact the DPH Bureau of Epidemiology for further information at 1-888-295-5156.

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