The Hamilton County Health Department and the United States Department of Agriculture are working to trace back the source of an E. coli outbreak that sickened at least eight people near Chattanooga. HCHD confirmed eight cases of E. coli O157:H7 after a July outbreak. Seven of the people who were ill with E. coli infections ate at Ryan’s on Hixson Pike.
Although Ryan’s was a common food source for most of these people who got sick, the health department has not linked it as a definitive cause, reports NewsChannel 9:
They are working with the United States Department of Agriculture and tracing back sirloin products to see if the potential source of this outbreak could have been items from Ryan’s food bar.
Previous outbreaks have been traced to buffet-style restaurants such as Sizzler, China Buffet, King Garden, Golden Corral, and others.