Public health officials in Colorado investigated an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 that occurred among patrons of Pho 75, a restaurant located in Aurora, Colorado. Meal dates ranged between May 24 and June 10. Tri-County Health Department (TCHD) staff conducted a case control study to determine illness status and food consumed. Nine cases were identified. Four were laboratory confirmed with E. coli O157:H7. One person was hospitalized. No one died.

TCHD environmental health sanitarians inspected the restaurant and found multiple critical food safety violations including risks for cross contamination caused by storage of raw beef above ready-to-eat lemons. Other critical violations noted were inadequate cold holding, poor hygienic practices, bare hand contact and poisonous or toxic items improperly stored and labeled.