Hamburger E. coli Suspected in 3 Ohio Cases of HUS
At. least three children in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, under age 9 have fallen victim to E. coli O157:H7 infection that has developed into a dangerous condition known as HUS, or hemolytic uremic syndrome.
The Cuyahoga County Board of Health told WKYC-TV in the Cleveland and Akron area that two children from Olmsted Falls and one from Strongsville developed HUS recently and were taken to the same hospital within the past three days. The television report said officials don’t know if the illnesses are related to ground beef recalls by retailers across the country who purchased potentially contaminated beef cuts from JBS Swift Beef Co. of Greeley, Colo.
The Ohio TV station said the children had handled raw meat before getting sick and it aired a story about tips to avoid E. coli O157:H7 while grilling. The story drew a well justified comment from a viewer whose own child is suffering from HUS. The comment was published on WKYC.com, reminding people not to blame the victims for deadly pathogens that end up in our meat supply causing hamburger E. coli outbreaks. Here is the comment:
“Am very curious to know who the source is that said the children were handling raw meat…my son has been dealing with this dreadful disease for the past 2 weeks and I can guarantee you he did not handle raw meat…you should warn parents of the other ways their children can contract the bacteria. We are from the west side and I truly hope we are not included in your numbers. I’m very disappointed in channel 3, I felt this news report blamed parents.”
This comment is a passionate reminder that there are many culprits to blame for food poisoning, not victims. If we keep blaming victims for an unsafe food supply, things will never change. Yes, there are precautions people can take to protect themselves from potentially deadly bacteria that continually ends up in our food, but E. coli O157:H7 should never make it to grocery stores in the first place.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last week that 23 people in nine states have been sickened by the same strain of E. coli O157:H7 and at least 12 of them have been hospitalized, including at least two with HUS, a type of kidney failure that is the leading cause of E. coli deaths. National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys is accepting hamburger E. coli O157:H7 cases nationwide from this outbreak and the firm can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free).
Pritzker Olsen founder and president Fred Pritzker has been a longtime advocate for safety reforms in our food system, including a complete overhaul of a totally inadequate meat inspection program. A Pritzker Olsen client testified earlier this year before Congress, which is working on new laws to protect families from deadly organisms in the food chain.
Our firm is one of the few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation. We are representing victims in Ohio and elsewhere in the country. For a free case consultation from one of our E. coli attorneys, call us or complete one of our online case consultation forms.
Tags: Hamburger E. coli
