New Mexico public heath director talks about tracing E. coli outbreak

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- At least 49 people in 10 states were infected and one person has died of E. coli after eating Quarter Pounders from McDonald's, according to the CDC.

New Mexico Director of Public Health Jose Acosta says there has been five confirmed cases in New Mexico's Bernalillo County. Acosta says sometimes his agency is notified by the CDC or health care providers that a person has a confirmed case of E.Coli. Once cases are confirmed, the health department conducts a thorough investigation.

"As the Department of Health, we go and then investigate. You speak the with the person involved. We speak with them and ask them about contacts and exposures," Acosta said.

The epidemiological investigation gathers information and analyzes it find the cause of outbreaks and prevent future outbreaks. They ask questions about the person's demographics, age, symptoms, and exposures. They also track what people had been eating in the last few days before infection. The timeframe for how long the investigations take may very depending on the answers provided.

Diarrhea is the most common symptoms is severe cases people also have fever, vomiting, dehydration and dizziness. According to Acosta symptoms normally show up 3- 5 days after exposure. In less severe cases people may start to feel symptom relief between 5-7 days after exposure.

Acosta recommends reaching out to your healthcare provider or their health line at (833) 796-8773 if you think you may be exposed.