For Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli, a category dominated by E. coli O157:H7, the total number of cases grew for the fourth straight year to 5,309. By month, the two highest totals were recorded in August (843 cases) and July (668). The lowest monthly total for E. coli cases in 2008 was 147 in February.

The CDC didn’t provide a breakdown of the incidence rate, but it noted in highlights to the report that 2004 was the last year in which E. coli O157:H7 was measured at an incidence rate that met the U.S. Healthy People 2010 goal of less than 1 case per 100,000 population. “Since then, the incidence has increased,” the report says.

Here’s a look at the total number of confirmed E. coli cases tracked by CDC since 2004 in the United States:

• 2004 — 3,169
• 2005 — 3,529
• 2006 — 4,432
• 2007 — 4,847
• 2008 — 5,309

Law firm Pritzker Olsen is one of the country’s leading practitioners of E. coli litigation and other lawsuits stemming from foodborne illness. If you or a loved one has been sickened by E. coli, contact us for a free case consultation at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or submit the contact form on the side of this Web page.

Over the years we have collected millions for victims of E. coli O157:H7 infection and other types of food poisoning. This includes handling of many serious cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).

As a law firm for victims we are involved in practically every major outbreak of foodborne illness and are dedicated to taking an active role in efforts to prevent E. coli outbreaks and reduce the spread of disease from contamination in our food supply.

No lettuce E. coli outbreaks have occurred this summer, but earlier this month Fresh Express recalled Romaine-based salad products with Use-by Dates of July 8 – 12 and an “S” in the Product Code.

The reason for the recall was a positive test result for E. coli O157:H7 found by FDA in a random sample of a single Hearts of Romaine salad. Although no longer being sold, consumers may still have the expired product in their homes and are warned not to eat it. No illness have been associated with the recall.

Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a nutrition watchdog group for consumers, has said the food group of lettuce and leafy greens has been linked to the most food poisoning outbreaks — 363 outbreaks from 1990 to 2006 — of any of the foods regulated by FDA that it surveyed.  (The FDA does not regulate meat).

The outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Campylobacter and other pathogens have caused more than 13,500 illnesses. Manure, contaminated irrigation water, or poor handling practices are all possible culprits in those outbreaks.

The average size of lettuce E. coli outbreaks is larger than outbreaks from other foods, thus affecting more people, according to CSPI.

Leafy greens are among the healthiest of foods when not contaminated with harmful bacteria. But there are reasons why contamination reoccurs:

• They grow close to the ground, where they come in contact with manure, water runoff and wild animal feces — all of which can harbor pathogens.
• Cutting and bagging the greens allows microbes to enter the plants and flourish before the bags are opened.
• They are often eaten raw, without being processed with the normal kill step of applied heat.
• Machinery used in processing can cross-contaminate production lots and expand problems.

“Outbreaks give the best evidence of where and when the food safety system is failing to protect the public,” said Sarah Klein, lead author of the report by CSPI.

One of the worst outbreaks came in 2006. The Dole bagged baby spinach E. coli outbreak sickened 205 people in 26 states and caused three deaths. Two victims were elderly and one was a child, 2 years old.

Later the same year, E. coli O157:H7 appeared in produce once more when two separate incidents of contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce sickened a total of 152 individuals at chain restaurants Taco Bell and Taco John. Pritzker Olsen law firm was involved in representing victims of the Taco Bell lettuce E. coli outbreak and the Dole baby spinach outbreak.

We know that E. coli O157:H7 microbes stick especially well to leaf lettuce — especially when the crop is cut and bagged. They become embedded in the plant and are thus protected from surface washing in some cases. The organisms thrive in the environment of a plastic bag, especially when temperatures rise and refrigeration is more crucial. Many people also are in the unsafe practice of eating bagged lettuce without washing it.

If you or a loved one have been sickened by lettuce E. coli O157:H7 or other human pathogen on leafy green vegetables, contact an attorney at Pritzker Olsen for a free case consultation. By phone, your free inquiry can be taken at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.

Our firm is one of the few in the country practicing extensively in the area of food borne illness litigation and we have recovered tens of millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning. Pritzker Olsen is dedicated to education and prevention of E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter and other harmful bacteria found in our food. Founder and president Fred Pritzker is a sought-after food safety expert who has long advocated strong food safety laws and more inspections of our food.

Health officials connected the dairy to an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter that sickened at least 30 people, including two young children who were hospitalized with severe complications.

The Associated Press said the reopening follows compliance with criteria said by Boulder County Public Health, but nothing short of pasteurization will render raw milk products safe from deadly pathogens like E. coli O157:H7.

Both E. coli 0157 and Campylobacter bacteria were identified at the state public health laboratory in lab tests from samples taken at Billy Goat Diary farm. The strain of Campylobacter found in the raw goat milk, and the strain of E. coli found in the goats is an identical match to the strains found in the ill people. These bacteria are found in the intestines of animals and can be passed in their feces to food, water, and milk products that haven’t been pasteurized.

This outbreak resulted in two children developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening complication of E. coli infection that strikes young children more often than people in other age groups. E. coli HUS is the leading cause of kidney failure in children, but it also can result in severe damage to the heart, central nervous system and brain.

If you or a loved one has been sickened in this outbreak and are concerned about appropriate levels of compensation for medical expenses, travel, lost wages and other harms, contact an attorney at Prizker Olsen law firm at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.  We have years of experience representing HUS victims and E. coli patients sickened in foodborne illness outbreak and our firm is actively involved in efforts to prevent outbreaks.

No confirmed link has been proven between the animal exhibits at the county fair and the girl’s severe illness, but a spokesman for the Indiana State Department of Health went on television to remind families about the risk of E. coli O157:H7 infection at events were live farm animals are on display.

24 Hour News8 TV interviewed the mother of the toddler, who is receiving regular treatments of kidney dialysis to fight her HUS. The toddler’s mother said her daughter used hand sanitizer at the fair, but it’s possible the little girl ingested bacteria from under her fingernails because she has a habit like many toddlers of chewing on her fingers.

When managers of any event encourage or permit public contact with animals, there is a well known risk of E. coli O157:H7 infection and one of every 10 to 15 infections lead to HUS. For children under 5, the risk of HUS is highest.

With the risk, there are equally well known measures that should be in place to prevent such infections.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc. (NASPHV) published a compendium of such measures about five years ago. It is import for even holders to implement the measures.

Law firm Pritzker Olsen has represented individuals who contracted E. coli from livestock shows, petting zoos and animal fairs. Our experience has been that safety gaps often exist when children or others fall ill.

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a rare variety of E. coli that produces a toxin that causes severe damage to the lining of the intestine. Specifically, the acute disease caused by E. coli O157:H7 is hemorrhagic colitis. E. coli O157:H7 can also result in hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of kidney failure in children in the United States.

The effects of HUS can be long-lasting and expensive to combat. In some cases, patients who initially survive their renal failure may require kidney transplants in the future. In addition, HUS can cause damage elsewhere in the body, including the heart, central nervous system and brain.

For answers to legal questions about E. coli and HUS, call Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.

A 53-year-old woman from Lakewood, Colorado, has filed a buffalo E. coli lawsuit against the Rocky Mountain Natural Meats after eating contaminated bison and developing an E. coli O157:H7 infection that caused her to be hospitalized. She is represented by law firm Pritzker Olsen. The same firm  represents a man from Baltimore, Maryland, who is one of seven people identified by health officials as being infected by the same strain of E. coli. Five are in Colorado and one is in New York.

Attorney Fred Pritzker, founder and president of the law firm, said that in the past and currently, bison meat has not been subject to the same E. coli O157:H7 testing requirements as ground beef. Many people assume that bison meat is safer than beef, but that reputation needs to be re-examined. Interestingly, the bison industry recognized this concern over two years ago.

The National Bison Association has noted:

Under our current status… bison are not required to undergo testing for E. coli O157:H7. Most of the commercial-scale USDA bison processors do conduct their own testing on a voluntary basis, and many of those systems exceed the standards required by USDA. However, the designation as a non-amenable species also allows producers to sell meat to the general public without undergoing some of the standard antimicrobial testing required by other commodities.

The statement from the bison trade group went on to say that any product recall based upon test results identifying the presence of E. coli O157:H7 would have a negative impact for the overall bison industry. However, the impact of an incident in which a consumer became ill from consuming meat that did not have to undergo testing for E. coli O157H7 could be even more devastating.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is not the basis for instilling consumer confidence in the integrity of our industry,” the statement said.

In response to the outbreak linked to Rocky Mountain Natural Meats, the bison association is telling its members to emphasize that the only products subject to recall were produced by the Colorado company. All recalled packages are marked with USDA establishment number “EST. 20247”.

• 16-ounce packages of “GREAT RANGE BRAND ALL NATURAL GROUND BISON.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 21, June 22 or June 24, 2010.
• 16-ounce packages of “NATURE’S RANCHER GROUND BUFFALO.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 22, 2010.
• 16-ounce packages of “THE BUFFALO GUYS ALL NATURAL GROUND BUFFALO 90% LEAN.” These products have a lot number of 0147.
• 12-ounce packages of “GREAT RANGE BRAND ALL NATURAL BISON STEAK MEDALLIONS.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 23 and 24, 2010
• 12-ounce packages of “GREAT RANGE BRAND ALL NATURAL BISON SIRLOIN STEAKS.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 20, June 23 and 24, 2010
• 15-pound boxes of “ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATURAL MEATS, INC. BISON 10 OZ SIRLOIN STEAK.” These products went to restaurants and bear a Julian Code of 0141.

Pritzker Olsen already represents a woman from Lakewood, Colorado, in a Rocky Mountain Natural Meats E. coli lawsuit filed this week in Golden, Colorado. In that case, a woman was hospitalized for several days after eating E. coli-tainted buffalo purchased at a King Soopers grocery store in Lakewood.

In the Baltimore case, the 28-year-old man was called several days ago by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene with information that he was infected with the same strain of E. coli O157:H7 that  sickened the Lakewood victim, a cluster of others in Colorado and one person in New York.

Our Maryland client ate ground buffalo and fell ill on June 14. When his illness progressed to bloody diarrhea, he saw a physician in Lutherville, Maryland, where a stool culture was ordered.

Great Range Ground Bison and Nature’s Rancher Ground Buffalo are two of the brands USDA has associated with this outbreak. They are included in the Rocky Mountain Natural Meats recall, issued July 2 for 66,000 pounds of ground buffalo and other bison products.

Pritzker Olsen is in the midst of its own investigation of the Colorado buffalo E. coli outbreak and continues to accept cases from this outbreak. To contact an E. coli attorney at the firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the online contact form on the side of this Web page.

Our consultations with you are free and you will owe us nothing until we win your case for you.

Thirteen children and one adult have been diagnosed with E. coli infections according to Fox 31 KDVR-TV. County officials told the station that no one has been hospitalized. The child care facility has remained open and the source of the outbreak remains a mystery.

Little Sailors Child Development in Northglenn is one of 600 child care centers regulated in the tri-county area of Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties.

If you or your child has been sickened in this outbreak, contact an E. coli lawyer at Pritzker Olsen law firm at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the form on the side of this Web page. Our firm is a leading practitioner of foodborne illness outbreak litigation and we are involved in practically every major outbreak.

Symptoms of E.coli include abdominal cramping followed by diarrhea that progressively worsens and is often bloody. In 5 to 15 percent of cases, patients develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe infection that often results in kidney failure and can lead to strokes, anemia, paralysis, brain damage and heart problems.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children under 5 are the most prone of any age group to develop HUS.

The E. coli victim is represented by Pritzker Olsen law firm. Local counsel in Denver filed the suit July 8, 2010,  in  Jefferson County District Court.  According to the complaint, the woman purchased the bison product in June at the King Soopers grocery store in Lakewood.

She fell ill with classic E. coli symptoms of diarrhea and stomach pain and was hospitalized for several days at Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver. Using Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE), state health officials concluded that she was part of a Colorado E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to the defendant’s bison meat.

The association with the outbreak prompted the Rocky Mountain Natural Meats recall of more than 66,000 pounds of ground buffalo, steaks and medallions on July 2.

Pritzker Olsen is currently in contact with other victims of this outbreak and is accepting additional cases. The firm is a leading practitioner of foodborne illness litigation and is actively involved in efforts to prevent outbreaks of E. coli and other dangerous pathogens.

If you or a loved one has become infected with E. coli O157:H7 after eating buffalo, contact a physician immediately and request a stool culture. For answers to legal questions, call our firm at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the online contact form on the side of this Web page. Over the years we have collected millions for victims of food poisoning.

The recall revision adds various weight boxes of Rocky Mountain Natural Meats  “BISON B TRIM” to the pre-existing recall notice for 66,000 pounds of ground buffalo and buffalo steaks and medallions. The B Trim boxes bear a production date of May 21, 2010 and a Julian Code of 14110. The boxes also state “KEEP REFRIGERATED.”

The new notice from USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) doesn’t contain new information about the ground buffalo E. coli outbreak previously announced last Friday. So far there have been five people in Colorado and one in New York sickened by the same strain of E. coli O157:H7, a potentially deadly bacterium that is banned in ground beef.

FSIS associated the Colorado outbreak with ground buffalo recalled by Rocky Mountain Natural Meats of Henderson, Colo. The individual brands are Great Range Ground Bison, Nature’s Rancher Ground Buffalo and The Buffalo Guys Ground Buffalo 90 Percent Lean. They are sold nationwide at grocery stores and in some restaurants via distributors in Arizona and Utah.

Because consumers often freeze retail meat purchases, officials fear there is a potential for the outbreak to grow indefinitely. Freezing temps don’t kill the pathogen. If you have eaten buffalo meat and fallen ill with painful diarrhea, including bloody diarrhea, contact your physician immediately and request a stool culture.

Law firm Pritzker Olsen represents a Lakewood, Colorado, woman, who is a victim of this outbreak and the firm is accepting additional cases. Attorney Fred Pritzker has begun his own independent investigation and is available to discuss legal aspects with individuals and families affected by this Colorado bison E. coli outbreak.

To contact Fred, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the online contact form on the side of this Web page.

See the originial recall information by clicking here.

Fred Pritzker, founder and president of the national food safety law firm, said a  Rocky Mountain Natural Meats E. coli lawsuit will be filed in Jefferson County, Colorado.

The client purchased the tainted buffalo from a King Soopers supermarket before USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a recall late last week of 66,000 pounds of ground buffalo and other buffalo products. Health officials confirmed that she was infected with the same strain of E. coli O157:H7 as a group of other Colorado residents.

Health investigators have associated the cluster of potentially deadly bacterial infections with ground buffalo from Rocky Mountain Natural Meats. At least one person from New York also has been sickened by the outbreak strain of E. coli.

Brands included in the Colorado buffalo recall are Great Range Ground Bison and Nature’s Rancher Ground Buffalo.

Pritzker Olsen is conducting its own investigation of the outbreak and is accepting additional cases. To contact Fred, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our online contact form. Our firm is a leading practitioner of foodborne illness litigation and we have collected millions over the years for victims of food poisoning.

In addition, members of our firm are actively involved in efforts to prevent outbreaks of E. coli and other human pathogens.