Family Suspects Cow Show in Tri Cities Child E. coli Case
Two young children in extreme northeast Tennessee are receiving hospital treatment for E. coli poisoning and public health officials are studying whether a common source caused the illnesses.
TriCities.com, a news website in the Tri Cities area of northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia, is reporting that the first child was admitted to Johnson City Medical Center about four weeks ago and is still in the pediatric intensive care unit.
The second child, a 4-year-old boy, was hospitalized at the same medical center one week ago and was scheduled late this week to receive a blood transfusion. Family members told TriCities.com that they believe the boy contracted the potentially deadly bacteria at a cow exhibit at the Appalachian Fair.
The Tennessee Health Department and the Northeast Tennessee Health Office are investigating
“We have not identified a source,” Northeast Tennessee Health Office spokeswoman Beth Rader told TriCities.com. “The investigation is ongoing.”
E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks have been caused in the past by human contact with animals at petting zoos and livestock exhibits — most notably in recent months at the Western National Stock Show in Denver. The bacteria grows in the guts of cattle and other animals and is spread through contact with their feces, which people encounter unknowingly with their shoes or hands in areas where the animals are kept.
National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen is representing victims of the Western National Stock Show and firm president Fred Pritzker has said that outbreak was preventable. Protecting public health at such exhibits requires installation of easily accessible hand washing facilities and ample signage warning attendees of the dangers of bacterial illness.
Children are at particular risk at these shows because they have more hand-to-mouth contact than adults. E. coli O157:H7 produces a toxin in humans that attacks red blood cells and can lead to hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome or HUS, the leading cause of kidney failure in children in the U.S.
To contact an attorney at our firm who is experienced in protecting the legal rights of people victimized in HUS E. coli outbreaks, call Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900. We are one of the few law firms in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and we have collected tens of millions of dollars for victims.
Tags: Ecoli, Tennessee E coli
