"A second child from King County has [fallen ill] by E. coli in connection to the nationwide recall of I.M. Healthy SoyNut Butter products.

The state Department of Health reported the second illness on Thursday afternoon. King County health officials reported the first illness related to I.M. Healthy products on March 7; the victim, in this case, is also a child. County health officials also confirmed that this second child with E. coli is a resident of King County.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 16 other people across the U.S. have been sickened by E. coli related to the recall, including people in Oregon, California, Maryland, and Virginia. Eight have been hospitalized, and five have developed a type of kidney failure linked to E. coli infections.

The Glenview, Ill.-based I.M Healthy has recalled all varieties of its SoyNut Butter, including varieties packaged in [15-ounce] jars, individual cups, [4-pound] tubs, and [45-pound] pails. The recall also affects granola products. The recall has also been expanded to include Dixie Diner’s Club brand Carb Not Beanit Butter.

'While we are taking the necessary investigative steps in getting the product in question and the supply chain tested, we decided to issue the recall for the sake of food safety,' the company said in a statement on its website recently. 'We take our product integrity seriously and will update all our customers as we receive more information.'"

As of March 7th CNN reported, "Four more people have become ill with E. coli linked to contaminated soy nut butter, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday, bringing the total number of reported cases to 16.

Eight of the ill individuals have been hospitalized. Five of those hospitalized have suffered hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure that can be life-threatening, although most people recover within a few weeks.

The most recently reported symptoms began on February 21 and took an average of two or three weeks to be reported. Symptoms of E. coli illness usually begin two to eight days after consuming the bacteria. They include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting. Most people recover in five to seven days, although 5% to 10% of individuals diagnosed with this type of E. coli illness develop hemolytic uremic syndrome, according to the CDC.

The newly reported illnesses were in Missouri, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, bringing the total number of states involved in the outbreak to nine. Previous cases were reported in Arizona, California, Maryland, New Jersey and Oregon."

The company urged anyone with questions or concerns to call its offices at 800-288-1012.

Cited Sources:

• http://patch.com/washington/seattle/second-wa-child-sickened-e-coli-connected-soy-nut-butter-recall
• http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/07/health/i-m-healthy-soy-nut-butter-recall-e-coli
• http://www.soynutbutter.com/Section/About_Us/Press_and_Media/The_SoyNut_Butter_Co-2E-_has_announced__a_voluntary_recall.html