FDA Joins Michigan E. coli Investigation
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has joined in the investigation of an E. coli O145 outbreak in Michigan, Ohio and New York that has sickened at least 60 people.
The FDA’s involvement supports what law firm Pritzker Olsen already has reported: that investigators are looking heavily at non-meat foods to pinpoint the source of the outbreak. Reporter Misti Crane of the Columbus Dispatch reported the FDA’s involvement and said the agency isn’t commenting.
Meanwhile, local state and federal health officials, including a team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are busy developing a questionnaire for distribution. It is the anchor of an epidemiological study to determine the outbreak’s cause.
The questionnaire will be given to ill people to find out what they ate and where they dined shortly before they became ill. The results will be compared to a control group of healthy people who ate at the same places. The study is expected to take several weeks.
“This type of study can make for strong evidence as to what made people sick, even if laboratory tests of food samples do not reveal anything,” Columbus Public Health said in its latest statement on the outbreak.
If you live around Columbus, Ohio; Ann Arbor, Michigan; or Buffalo, New York, and have experienced symptoms of E. coli infection since April 1, the investigators would like to make you part of their study. Pritzker Olsen can put you in touch with the investigators and answer any legal questions you have about the outbreak.
To talk to an E. coli lawyer and receive a free case consultation, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our online contact form.
E. coli O145 is one of six common strains of non-O157 E. coli, all of which emit Shiga toxin — a powerful toxin that can lead to severe illness and death.
Most persons sickened with E. coli recover within a week; however, infections become severe in 5 to 15 percent of case. A serious complication of E.coli infection is called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). This disease is the leading cause of kidney failure among children, but it can also damage the brain, central nervous system and heart. HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly.
Tags: E coli O145, E. coli Outbreak, Michigan E coli, Michigan E coli Outbreak, Ohio E coli
