Just as the holiday season begins, Wolverine Packing Co. has recalled approximately 167,277 pounds of ground beef that was reportedly meant to be shipped to restaurants for a possible E. coli contamination.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service announced on Wednesday that approximately fifteen cases had been recorded in Minnesota, with illnesses beginning between November 2nd and November 10th.

“Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider. E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea, and abdominal cramps 2–8 days (3–4 days, on average) after exposure the organism,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service stated. “While most people recover within a week, some develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).”

“This condition can occur among persons of any age but is most common in children under 5 years old and older adults. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output. Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture continued.

Two of the four hospitalized individuals experienced a significant consequence that might result in renal failure, according to the Associated Press.

People who ate hamburgers at Red Cow restaurants in the Minneapolis and Rochester areas, as well as the Hen House Eatery in Minneapolis, have also reportedly contracted the infection.

The products that are being recalled have the USDA mark of inspection “EST. 2574B” on them. These specifically marked packages of ground beef were sent to restaurants throughout the country. 

According to CNN, FSIS learned about the issue after the Minnesota Department of Agriculture told them of several sick people who claimed to have eaten ground beef before becoming ill.

On November 13th, FSIS received reports of approximately 15 cases of people falling ill after eating ground beef. In collaboration with the Minnesota Departments of Agriculture and Health, a connection between this cluster of victims who became ill and the Detroit-based Wolverine Packing Co. ground beef products, according to the FSIS USDA’s news release. 

According to Forbes, a sample of ground beef that the Minnesota Department of Agriculture had taken as part of an inquiry into an epidemic turned out to contain E. coli O157 on November 20th, which is the same contamination on onions that were found and used on the McDonald’s Quarter Pounder sandwiches last month.

Restaurants that have received any quantity of contaminated ground beef have been advised to discard the contaminated meat immediately.