New York Lettuce E. coli Victim From Daemen College
One of three New York lettuce E. coli outbreak victims who developed life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) has been retained by law firm Pritzker Olsen.
The freshman from Daemen College, a private liberal arts school in Amherst, New York, was hospitalized three times after contracting E. coli O145 last month. Her illness is associated with contaminated romaine lettuce distributed and later recalled by Ohio-based Freshway Foods.
An ABC News report said two other HUS illnesses associated with the lettuce outbreak also are from New York: a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old from the public school district in Wappingers Falls.
New York is one of four states involved in the outbreak that has sickened at least 23 people and hospitalized a dozen. Seven additional cases studied as part of the outbreak are currently listed as probable. The four states are New York, Ohio, Michigan and Tennessee, where there is one confirmed case.
The Daemen College student’s health battle has been a serious setback to her studies at the private liberal arts college in Amherst, New York. Her attorney, Fred Pritzker, said the outbreak and her illness could have been prevented if the U.S. didn’t ignore E. coli O145.
The most common strain of E. coli associated with human illness is E. coli O157. Even though other strains, like O145, can be just as dangerous, O157 is the only E. coli strain that is regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“Any E. coli strain capable of producing the toxin that causes injury or death in humans, including O145, should be declared an adulterant and regulated by federal and state agencies charged with protecting our nation’s food supply,” said Pritzker. “Our client’s HUS is no less devastating because it came from O145 rather than O157.”
Vaughn Foods of Moore, Oklahoma has also recalled lettuce that came from the same Yuma, Arizona farm that the FDA is investigating as a potential source of the Freshway Foods lettuce contamination. Most of the recalled lettuce was distributed for use by foodservice establishments and in institutional settings, such as large schools.
Pritzker Olsen is a Minneapolis-based food safety law firm that has been involved in virtually every major foodborne illness outbreak. Pritzker Olsen attorneys have recovered millions of dollars for victims seriously harmed or killed by foodborne illness. Attorney Fred Pritzker can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) or via our online contact form.
Tags: E. coli HUS, Freshway Foods Class Action Lawsuit, HUS, New York E coli
