E. coli Lawyer

British Group Warns Against Overuse of Antibiotics

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:59:01 -0600

The emergence in England of an E. coli 026 bug that is resistant to families of antibiotics, including penicillins, has sparked new discussion about the heavy use of antibiotics on farms. This week, ministers on a British government veterinary committee were briefed about the finding on a dairy farm with 40 cows and 20 calves. Nineteen of the calves and three of the cows were found to have a "superbug'' version of E. coli 026 that survived exposure to common antibiotics. The Lancashire-based Farmers Guardian magazine quoted officials from The Soil Association, a lobby for organic farming, who said heavy use of antibiotics in farms is prompting E. coli bacteria to start mutating to ensure their own survival. The dairy farm where the bacteria was found doesn't pose an immediate public health risk, but officials have instructed the family on how to avoid getting infected. The Soil Association called on the British government to devise specific recommendations to limit the use of antibiotics on farms.

Tennessee Searching for Source of 2 E. coli Cases

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:07:01 -0600

Health officials in Fayetteville, Tenn., are searching for the source of two confirmed E. coli O157:H7 cases in the surrounding Lincoln County area. Shelley Walker, spokeswoman for the Tennessee Department of Health in Nashville, told the Elk Valley Times newspaper that more than 180 people have been interviewed as part of an ongoing, "intensive investiation'' into the situation. Walker did not provide information about the two people sickened by the virulent strain of E. coli. Infected persons can develop a complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome, which is potentially fatal for children, the elderly and others who have weakened immune systems. Our law firm is currently representing E. coli victims who developed HUS. To contact our law firm, please call 1-888-377-8900 or submit our online consultation form.

Far-Flung E. coli Cases Share Same Fingerprint

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:02:50 -0600

Health officials in Canada and the United States have discovered that five cases of E. coli O157:H7 in southern California, South Dakota and New Jersey carry the same genetic fingerprint as 21 confirmed E. coli cases in southeastern Ontario.> The Canadian cases are located in a close-knit geographical area around the towns of Halton, Niagara and Waterloo. Dr. Bob Nosal, medical officer of health for Halton, told The Hamilton Spectator newspaper on Monday that five U.S. cases have been identified as having the same genetic code. "In Ontario, the cases are quite close geographically,'' Nosal said. "So when you get something that rare showing up in the U.S., you really wonder -- is it possibly linked?'' Among the agencies studing the connection are the Ontario Ministry of Health, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. In the Ontario outbreak, officials are still to determine the cause. More than 90 additional cases of illness are under investigation as part of the probe. Earlier this week, Dr. Robin Williams, Niagara's chief medical officer of health, said tainted lettuce could be the source. In Halton, four confirmed cases of the potentially deadly pathogen, are believed to be linked to the same family restaurant in Burlington, officials have said. The restaurant was shut down, but reopened this week after complying with health department orders.

Petting Zoo Closes As Precaution Against E. coli

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 20:59:24 -0600

Health officials in Beaufort County, N.C., are working with area schools and health care providers to identify and test for E. coli O157:H7 in school-age children after several cases were confirmed last week. As a precaution, a petting zoo in Greenville, N.C., has been temporarily closed while health officials look for the cause of the E. coli infections. WNCT-TV reported that the petting zoo will remain closed until officials know where the infections are coming from. Meanwhile, parents are being reminded of the importance of hand-washing after adults or children come in contact with livestock or other farm animals. E. coli symptoms can appear one to 10 days after exposure to the pathogenic bacteria. The symptoms range from mild diarrhea to severe abdominal cramps and bloody stools, but you may display no symptoms at all. E. coli is a leading cause of bloody diarrhea. These symptoms are more severe in children, the elderly and in those who have another illness. Though most people recover from an E. coli infection, some of those infected develop hemolytic uremic syndrome, which is a severe and life-threatening complication. Bacterial illnesses are the most commonly reported health risk associated with animals in public settings such as petting zoos, livestock shows, animal rides and public stables, according to Epi Notes, a disease prevention and epidemiology newsletter of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. The animals infected with pathogens like E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella and Campylobacter frequently exhibit no signs of illness and may shed the disease intermittently.

E. coli in 8 Children Prompts Investigation in Colorado

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 13:09:27 -0600

Laboratory testing has identified similarities in the specific strains of E. coli O157:H7 infections found in several of eight children who contracted the bacteria in the Evergreen mountain area of Colorado.

Jefferson County Department of Health and Environment (JCDHE) in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is investigating the cluster of cases to see if the infections may be linked to a common source or exposure. The eight children are 4-12 years of age and they contracted E. coli from July through October.

Gayle Miller, an epidemiologist with JCDHE told the Denver Post that the investigation is comprehensive. "We don't have a smoking gun. We don't know yet what the cause is.''

The newspaper said possible sources of exposure being looked at by health officials include deer and elk droppings, as well as common behaviors, activiites, foods and drinks.

All of the earliest affected children have fully recovered without complications. Two children who became ill in mid- to late-October required hospitalization in a Denver area hospital after developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can lead to kidney failure. The grandmother of an 11-year-old girl hospitalized with HUS said the complication has affected the child's kidneys, but that she's improving, the Post reported.

Iowa Reports Jump in E. coli cases

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 12:17:37 -0600

As two children sickened by E. coli O157:H7 remain hospitalized in Iowa from complications of their infections, the Iowa Department of Public Health has issued a press release alerting the public to a statewide spike in confirmed E. coli cases since late September. The 29 cases compare to the five-year average of 18.4 confirmed E. coli cases for the same period, the health department said. Twenty-two have involved children aged 12 and younger and several of those children have been hospitalized. Officials confirmed that only a cluster of the recent infections -- found in the eastern part of the state and all reported in the past three weeks -- share some common exposures. They say several things associated with the cluster increased the risk of contact with E. coli O157:H7 bacteria, "such as drinking unpasteurized apple cider, eating fresh, unwashed apples and eating ground beef.'' Two of the children sickened by the pathogen in the most recent cluster of cases remain at University of Iowa Children's Hospital. Parents for the 7-year-old girl and the 5-year-old boy told the Gate City Daily newspaper in Keokuk, Iowa, that the kids separately visited a business in Lee County Iowa, where they drank unpasteurized apple cider from a vendor who was demonstrating how to press apples. One child consumed the cider on Oct. 4, the other on Oct. 5, but health officials have said DNA fingerprints of their illnesses do not match. Both children have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, and have been treated with blood transfusions, kidney dialysis and other procedures during their long hospital stays. Our law firm is currently representing E. coli victims who developed HUS. To contact our law firm, please call 1-888-377-8900 or submit our online consultation form.

E. coli leads to HUS for two children

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 22:23:03 -0600

Of the four confirmed cases of E. coli 0157:H7 in southeastern Iowa and western Illinois, two are young children hospitalized with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a complication from the infection. The two children, who were admitted to the University of Iowa Children's Hospital, came down with their initial symptoms on the same day, Oct. 7, The Hawk Eye newspaper reported Friday. One is a 7-year-old girl from Mount Pleasant, Iowa, while the other is a 5-year-old boy from across the state line in Basco, Ill. The Burlington, Iowa, newspaper said both children have spent time in the hospital's intensive care unit, received blood transfusions and undergone kidney dialysis. Patricia Quinlisk, medical director for the Iowa Department of Public Health, said Friday that no businesses or entities have been asked to closed down.

Forest Ranch, California E. coli Outbreak Linked to Beef Tri-Tip

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:38:40 -0600

Butte County Public Health is continuing to investigate a California E. coli 0157:H7 outbreak that sickened at least twenty-seven people. The outbreak occurred among attendees of a fundraiser for the Forest Ranch Volunteer Fire Department. The people sickened ranged in age from two years old to eighty years old. Four cases were hospitalized and are now home recovering. Butte County health officials have microbiological evidence that beef tri-tip served at the fundraiser was the source of the outbreak: cultures taken from leftover meat cooked at the event have grown E. coli 0157:H7 which genetically matches the outbreak E. coli O157:H7. Butte County health officials continue to investigate how the cooked meat was contaminated. Our law firm is currently representing E. coli victims who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening illness that can cause kidney failure, liver damage, pancreatitis, brain damage and damage to other organs. Attorney Fred Pritzker recently spent two days in an intensive care unit with a family whose loved one had developed HUS and was in a coma. If you would like information regarding E. coli litigation and compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost income and other damages, please contact our law firm: 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free), email our lawyers or submit our online consultation form for a free consultation.

Michigan E. coli: Evidence Pointing to Aunt Mid's Iceberg Lettuce

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:07:10 -0600

Michigan health officials have associated a Michigan E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that has sickened at least 35 people with iceberg lettuce distributed by Aunt Mid�??s Produce Company because several of the people who were diagnosed with E. coli infections ate Aunt Mid's lettuce before becoming ill. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, six people in Illinois were also diagnosed with E. coli infections after consuming Aunt Mid's iceberg lettuce. Additional, compelling epidemiological and microbiological evidence points to Aunt Mid's lettuce as the source of the E. coli outbreak. According to James McCurtis, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Community Health, Aunt Mid�??s lettuce is the only kind delivered to the Lenawee County Jail (5 inmates sickened) and the two restaurants in Illinois where the outbreak-strain of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria was found. Our law firm has a national reputation in this area, and we handle E. coli cases throughout the United States. We are currently handling a number of E. coli cases, including cases involving hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). To contact the firm, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free), email our lawyers or submit our online consultation form on this page for a free consultation.

Illinois E. coli: Aunt Mid's Lettuce

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:39:50 -0600

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has identified Aunt Mid�??s Produce Company as the distributor of iceberg lettuce consumed by six Illinois residents during late August to mid-September who have been diagnosed with E coli O157. Those sickened consumed the allegedly-contaminated Aunt Mid's lettuce at Illinois restaurants and food service establishments. Five of these people were hospitalized. The Michigan Department of Community Health has also identified Aunt Mid�??s Produce Company as a distributor of iceberg lettuce consumed by Michigan residents who have been diagnosed with E. coli O157:H7. The health departments' findings that people who were sickened ate Aunt Mid's lettuce is epidemiological evidence that associates Aunt Mid's with the Michigan-Illinois E. coli outbreak. For information on the legal rights of E. coli victims, distributor liability, restaurant liability and an Aunt Mid's lawsuit, please contact our law firm at 1-888-377-8900, email our lawyers or submit our online consultation form found on this page. Posted October 2008 on E. coli Lawyer.

E. coli Outbreak Sickens Michigan State University and University of Michigan Students

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 13:36:23 -0600

Michigan has been hit with a second large E. coli outbreak in less than 4 months. The first Michigan E. coli outbreak had 22 cases that were genetically linked to beef products sold by Nebraska Beef, Ltd. The second outbreak involves the following confirmed cases of E. coli O157:H7:

7 students at MSU
3 students at Michigan University
5 inmates at Lenawee County Jail
3 people in Macomb County
2 people in Wayne County
2 people in Kent County
1 person in St. Clair County
1 person in Oakland County

Health officials have genetically linked the Michigan E. coli cases with E. coli cases in Illinois, New York, Ohio and Oregon. Health officials do not know the source of the E. coli, and investigations are ongoing. According to WILX-TV, however, the source may be food from a commercial distributor:

There's speculation the food came from a commercial distributor, so MSU says, as a precaution, they've removed frozen turkey and particular produce items from their cafeteria for the time being.

Eight of the nine people hospitalized in this E. coli outbreak were Michigan students. E. coli infections can develop into hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), one of the leading causes of kidney failure. Read more about this Michigan State University and University of Michigan E. coli Outbreak.

Oklahoma E. coli Outbreak

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:07:00 -0600

An Oklahoma E. coli outbreak has been linked to the Country Cottage in Locust Grove, Oklahoma. People from the following Oklahoma communities have been sickened: Bixby, Pryor, Sand Springs, Locust Grove, Broken Arrow, Peggs, Tulsa, and McAlester. One man has died, four children have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (three of them are on dialysis and fighting to recover), at least 50 people have been hospitalized and at least 23 others have been sickened but not hospitalized. The Oklahoma State Department of Health is focusing its investigation on the Country Cottage restaurant, looking at all possible scenarios that could have led to so many people being sickened by food served there. For information about a Country Cottage lawsuit, please contact our law firm: call 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free), email attorney Fred Pritzker, or submit the form on this page for a free consultation.

Georgia Outbreak Leads to 3 Probable Cases of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:01:15 -0600

A recent E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in Moultrie, Georgia has 9 confirmed cases with several others still undergoing testing. A local restaurant, The Barbecue Pit, has voluntarily closed its doors after Health Department workers found that all of the confirmed cases had recently eaten at the restaurant. The worrisome aspect of this outbreak is that, so far, 3 people have developed symptoms of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS is the leading cause of acute kidney failure in children and can lead to numerous other complications such as central nervous system damage, hypertension, chronic kidney failure, and a host of other gastroenterological symptoms. The mortality rate of HUS is between 3-7% and up to 50% among the elderly. The ages of the victims in the Georgia outbreak have not been released. If you have recently eaten at The Barbecue Pit in Moultrie, Georgia, or have been diagnosed with symptoms of E. coli O157:H7, here are some symptoms of HUS to look for:

Non-bloody diarrhea
Abdominal Cramping
Nausea
Vomiting
Low or no fever

Symptoms usually begin to show 3-7 days after the bloody diarrhea associated with typical E. coli O157:H7 occurs. If you have symptoms of HUS after an E. coli O157:H7 infection, please visit a doctor immediately as it is a potentially life-threatening illness. If you plan on seeking damages for your illness, you should the nationally known and respected E. coli lawyer Fred Pritzker. The law firm of Pritzker | Ruohonen has recovered millions for victims of E. coli outbreaks. Call 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free) or submit our free case consultation form (top right corner).

Kroger Ground Beef E. coli Outbreak

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:04:47 -0600

The following information on the Ohio and Michigan E. coli outbreak linked to Kroger ground beef is provided by Pritzker | Ruohonen, one of the few law firms in the United States that practices extensively in the area of E. coli litigation. Our lawyers have gained a national reputation and have been interviewed by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Lawyers USA and other publications. In recognigion of their accomplishments, Pritzker | Ruohonen attorneys Fred Pritzker, Rich Ruohonen and Elliot Olsen have been named "Super Lawyers" by Law & Politics magazine. If you or your child has been diagnosed with E. coli, you may contact Pritzker | Ruohonen at 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free), email our lawyers, or submit the firm's online consultation form (top of right column) for review by a lawyer at the firm. June 25, 2008 - State departments of health and agriculture in Michigan and Ohio, CDC, and the United States Department of Agriculture�??s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) are investigating a multi-state outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections. To date, 32 confirmed cases have been linked both epidemiologically and by molecular fingerprinting to this outbreak, 15 in Michigan and 17 in Ohio. Onset of illness in these patients occurred from 5/30/08 to 6/11/08. Fourteen ill persons have been hospitalized. One patient has developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). No deaths linked to the outbreak have been reported. Twenty (62%) of patients are female. Patients range in age from 4 to 78 years with a median age of 21 years. Kroger ground beef has been linked to the this E. coli outbreak. State health and agriculture departments have tested ground beef recovered from patient residences and purchased at Kroger® retail stores in Michigan and Ohio. Molecular fingerprinting testing conducted by the Ohio and Michigan Departments of Health and Agriculture Laboratories, in collaboration with PulseNet, the national molecular subtyping network for foodborne disease surveillance, on E. coli O157 isolates isolated from ground beef samples have confirmed the isolates to be the outbreak strain of E. coli O157. Analysis of the case-control study data indicates a significant association between illness among case patients and eating ground beef purchased at at one of several Kroger® Co. stores in Michigan and Ohio. CDC has provided these results to the USDA-FSIS and public health agencies in Michigan and Ohio. A recall has been announced for ground beef sold at Kroger® Co. Stores in Michigan and Ohio. The products subject to recall include all varieties and weights of ground beef products bearing a Kroger label sold between May 21 and June 8 at Michigan and Columbus and Toledo, Ohio Kroger retail establishments. These ground beef products also include a sell-by date between "05/21/08" and "06/08/08." The epidemiological and microbiological evidence of that Kroger ground beef is linked to the outbreak can be used in a Kroger E. coli lawsuit seeking compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, emotional distress and other damages. We have used both epidemiological and microbiological evidence to successfully prove �??causation,�?? an element of an E. coli lawsuit that looks at whether the suspected food product was the actual cause of the victim�??s E. coli infection and related complications, including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS is one of the leading causes of kidney failure (renal failure). We have recovered compensation for victims of E. coli outbreaks involving grocery stores. We have also recently recovered amounts for families of people who died from E. coli and HUS. Contact us regarding our experience with E. coli litigation, grocery store liability, a Kroger E. coli lawsuit and any other issue that you would want to discuss with an E. coli lawyer. Contact a Pritzker | Ruohonen lawyer:

Call 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free);
Submit our free case consultation form (top of right column); or
Email our lawyers.

Pritzker | Ruohonen & Associates, P.A. represents foodborne illness survivors in cases throughout the United States.

E. coli and Leftovers

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:43:59 -0600

We are often asked by people who have eaten a recalled product what they should do with leftovers. The investigation of the E. coli outbreak associated with American Foods Group, LLC ground beef products, highlights the importance of retaining recalled food products until one is certain no one has been sickened by them. In October, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) began investigating 2 cases of suspected E. coli poisoning. According to IDPH representative Kimberly Parker, both of the people and ground beef found in their home tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. Prompted by the report of these cases of E. coli O157:H7, American Foods Group recalled about 48 tons of ground beef products. The ground beef that tested positive for E. coli O157:H7 is vital clue that investigators from the Illinois Department of Public Health needed to quickly identify the food that was responsible for the patients' illnesses. Before the American Foods Group LLP recall, the Illinois Department of Public Health took its findings to the US Department of Agriculture, which presented the meat company with evidence of the sick patients and the contaminated ground beef. The company recalled 48 tons of its ground beef on November 24. Packages from patients' homes were found in several of the most recent foodborne illness outbreaks. The list reads like a hall of fame�??or maybe we should we call it a "hall of shame". In the past year alone, investigators were able to examine contaminated ConAgra pot pies (Salmonella), Topps ground beef (E. coli O157:H7), Castleberry's chili sauce (Clostridium botulinum, which produces toxic botulism spores), and ConAgra peanut butter (Salmonella) found in the homes of sick patients. Pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7 and Listeria are considered to be food "adulterants." Quite simply, they shouldn't be in food. So when investigators find an exact genetic match between the pathogen from sick patients and the food from their homes, they often have the "smoking gun." In a food recall, people who have the product in their homes but have not eaten it should always throw the food away. But people often ask what they should do if they've eaten a recalled product. We would suggest that people should save the product and packaging until it's clear that they didn't get sick. (This should not be considered legal advice. You should contact us or another law firm if you would like assistance with any legal matter.) And if they get sick, see a doctor and ask to be tested and treated immediately.