Houghton’s Ambassador Restaurant Linked to Michigan Upper Peninsula E. coli Outbreak
Four people were hospitalized with severe food poisoning infections in an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 that health officials have linked to an ill food-handler at a restaurant in Houghton, Michigan. At least three others also were sickened and authorities suspect there could be more people who ate at The Ambassador and became ill over the Christmas holiday.
That’s when the cluster of E. coli infections was noticed and investigated. The results of the probe will be important to any E. coli lawsuit filed on behalf of victims. Free case consultations are available at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., one of the very few legal groups in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness. Leave your contact information for an attorney or call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). Our firm has collected millions for victims of E. coli restaurant outbreaks and has represented consumers in previous Michigan outbreaks of foodborne illness.
The Ambassador’s outbreak was announced by Dr. Terry Frankovich, an area medical director. The public health investigation is being conducted by the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department, she said, and officials suspect others could have become ill and not realized they were part of an outbreak.
The Ambassador has remained open for business and has been working in cooperation with authorities. E. coli O157:H7 is a feared pathogen that can cause life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which happens in about 8 percent of cases. HUS victims lose kidney function and often require blood transfusions. HUS also can cause stroke, heart attack, attacks on the central nervous system and severe anemia.
Studies have shown that even mild E. coli infections can carry negative health reprecussions throughout a person’s life. A good E. coli lawyer will seek claim compensation full enough to fairly cover victims for all past and future harms.
Lawyer for NC State Fair E. coli Victims Studying What Safeguards Were in Place to Protect Kids, Adults
Despite the obvious risk of E. coli transmission, a quarter of the people who attended livestock exhibits at the North Carolina State Fair had physical contact with the animals in a setting that gave way to an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 that hospitalized eight people.
Four of those victims suffered a life-threatening complication of the infection known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a disease that shuts down a person’s kidneys and can lead to stroke, heart attack and central nervous system damage.
HUS E. coli lawyers from Pritzker Olsen Attorneys have been in contact with families affected by this dangerous spread of bacteria. Our attorneys are conducting an investigation of what preventive measures were in place to stop the spread of pathogens that are well known risks at fairs, shows and petting zoos.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said this week that some measures were in place, but a North Carolina task force is also studying the extent of prevention.
Twenty-five case patients got sick between October 16–25. Fair officials were notified a day after the fair ended in Raleigh that four people were confirmed to have infections from the same strain of E. coli. In all, approximately 1 million visitors had attended the fair.
According to the CDC, the only exposure associated with illness was having visited one of the permanent structures in which sheep, goats, and pigs were housed for livestock competitions. “Fair attendees were not intended to have physical contact with animals in the building; however, 25 percent of case-patients (three of 12) and 24 percent of control subjects (five of 21) who visited the building reported direct contact with animals.”
The report noted that a previous E. coli outbreak was linked to a petting zoo at the 2004 North Carolina State Fair, resulting in 187 illness, 15 of which were complicated by HUS. The 2004 outbreak led to the passage of Aedin’s Law in North Carolina, which created regulations for exhibitions housing animals intended for physical contact. The CDC report said the 2011 animal exhibits didn’t fall under the law, but nonetheless some prevention measures were adopted from national guidelines that apply to having animals in public settings.
If you or a loved one has been sickened in this outbreak, contact Pritzker Olsen for a free case consultation by leaving your contact information or calling 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). A State Fair E. coli lawsuit will consider why the safety and well-being of children and others was not adequately protected.
Pritzker Olsen is a national food safety law firm with many years of experience in outbreak investigations and E. coli litigation. We have won tens of millions of dollars over the years for those who have been harmed by negligence. Our firm also is actively involved in multiple efforts to prevent the spread of pathogens that cause foodborne illness. Outbreaks are preventable and legal action, in our experience, is a meaningful agent for systematic change.
E. coli Testing Could Expand Soon As Policy Advances
Within three months of the New Year, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is expected to begin testing beef trim for six additional types of shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) bacteria in a breakthrough for food safety.
Since 1994, E. coli O157:H7 has been the only type of the bug declared as an adulterant and therefore subject to testing. It will soon be illegal to sell ground beef and beef intended for grinding if it is contaminated with six other serogroups: O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145.
The pending change could be delayed depending on handling of comments from meat industry interests who are opposed to the expanded testing program. But it has the backing of President Obama’s Food Safety Working Group, which is chaired by the secretaries of agriculture and health and human services. Like other food safety reforms by the President, it is focused on prevention as a principle for building a modern food safety system.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated that non-O157 STEC strains are connected with about 110,000 human illnesses annually, and food-borne O157 strains are connected with about 63,000 annually. The STEC strains recently declared as adulterants in ground beef also are found in other food, but they originate in the the guts of cattle and other animals.
Still, one of the most dangerous combination of food poisoning is STECs in undercooked ground beef, causing hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS sufferers lose kidney function and are at risk for stroke, heart attack, central nervous system invasion and severe anemia. Children under 5 years of age are in the age group most susceptible to HUS.
The Year in E. coli: Lettuce, strawberries, ground beef, hazelnuts, raw milk, sprouts and more
Fenugreek sprouts mainly eaten on salads caused what is believed to be the largest outbreak on record of E. coli poisoning, killing 50 people in 15 countries and sickening more than 4,000 others. The outbreak was centered in Germany, but the scale was so large the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a special travelers’ alert and explanation.
The organism at the root of the European sprouts outbreak was new, dubbed E. coli O104:H4, and it followed an unusual pattern by mainly affecting adults (instead of young children and the elderly) and taking longer to exhibit symptoms — eight days instead of three or four.
In 2011, the only other outbreak of foodborne illness that came close to being as destructive was the cantaloupe Listeria outbreak that killed 31 people in the U.S. But there were plenty of other highlights in the realm of shiga-toxin producing E. coli. Here is a breakdown of the larger outbreaks provided by the E. coli lawyers at Pritzker Olsen Attorneys. Our firm represents victims of E. coli poisoning across the country and has collected tens of millions of dollars in recoveries for individuals and families who become sick through no fault of their own:
In October, state and federal public health officials discovered that leaves of romaine lettuce served at certain grocery store salad bars in Missouri were associated with a growing number of infections of E. coli O157:H7. When the investigation matured, officials had traced the source of the outbreak to a single farm whose lettuce also was linked to illnesses at university campuses in Minnesota and Missouri. At least 60 people were sickened in 10 states. Missouri was hit hardest and lawsuits have been filed there against Schnucks supermarket chain.
Though it did not go down as a multi-state outbreak tracked publicly by the CDC, the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that sickened attendees of the North Carolina State Fair was exceptionally big and was ultimately traced to one of the fair’s livestock exhibits. At least twenty-seven people were infected.
In August, at least nine people fell ill and one died in another single-state outbreak of toxic E. coli. The illnesses were linked to contaminated strawberries from Oregon’s Jaquith Starwberry Farm.
Ground beef is perenially one of the most common carriers of shiga toxin-producing E. coli and 2011 included a number of large recalls of E. coli-tainted hamburger. In September, Ohio state health authorities reported a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses in Butler County. An investigation led to the recall of 131,300 pounds of ground beef products from Tyson Fresh Meats Inc., of Emporia, Kansas.
A similar situation occurred in Michigan in July when E. coli O157 was linked to eating ground beef processed and distributed by McNees Meats and Wholesale LLC, a North Branch, Michigan, establishment. A total of five confirmed Shiga-toxin producing E. coli cases and four probable cases were reported in Lapeer, Genesee, Isabella, and Sanilac counties.
Also in July, health officials in Pennsylvania were notified of an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 among swimmers at Cowans Gap State Park near Chambersberg. At least 14 people became infected and the beach was closed for the remainder of the season. At least five of the case patients developed potentially deadly hemolytic uremic children (HUS), a complication including kidney failure that most often affects children under age five and the elderly or immuno-compromised.
In California, the state quarantined and recalled raw milk from Organic Pastures in Fresno County following a notification from the California Department of Public Health that a cluster of five children were infected, from August through October, with the same strain of E. coli O157:H7 as was found in the milk. The children are residents of Contra Costa, Kings, Sacramento, and San Diego counties.
Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina and Ohio combined in March to confirm 14 cases of E. coli O157:H7 all from the same strain. An investigation involving federal agencies associated the outbreak with Lebanon bologna — a semi-dry sausage that appears similar to salami. As a result, Palmyra Bologna Company, of Palmyra, Pennsylvania, recalled approximately 23,000 pounds of Lebanon bologna products that may have been contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7.
In-shell hazelnuts were implicated in 2011′s first outbreak of E. coli. People in several states had fallen ill starting in December and continuing through Valentine’s Day. As April 1, 2011, eight persons were infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 were reported from Michigan (1), Minnesota (3), and Wisconsin (4). The investigation led to a recall of bulk and consumer-packaged in-shell hazelnuts sold by DeFranco & Sons of Los Angeles. The nuts were sold by retailers nationwide.
Romaine Lettuce From Salad Bars At St Louis Schnucks Stores, Minnesota and Missouri Universities Linked to 60-Person E. coli Outbreak
Romaine Lettuce is the likely source of an E. coli outbreak that sickened 60 people in 10 states, according to a report 
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The outbreak, which initially was thought to have stricken 37 salad bar customers at Schnucks grocery stores in the St. Louis area, was linked to a single lot of Romaine lettuce grown on a California farm.
The search for the source has been ongoing sine the outbreak began on October 10. Because multiple tests at various Schnucks locations never revealed the presence of E.coli, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the traceback investigation to include suppliers and distributors of the grocery chain.
Working with several state agencies, the FDA conducted traceback investigations for romaine lettuce to try to identify the source of contamination. Traceback analysis determined that a single common lot of romaine lettuce harvested from a California farm was used to supply the Schnucks grocery store chain as well as the university campus in Minnesota during the time of the illnesses. The same lot was also provided to a distributor that supplied lettuce to the university campus in Missouri, but records were not sufficient to determine if this lot was sent to this university campus.
As of November 30, 2011, 60 people had been infected with the same strain of E. coli 0157:H7. The confirmed illnesses by state are as follows: Arizona (1), Arkansas (2), Georgia (1), Illinois (9), Indiana (2), Kansas (3), Kentucky (1), Minnesota (3), Missouri (37), and Nebraska (1).
An E.coli infection can create serious illness. Most people infected with E. coli O157:H7 develop bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps 2-8 days after swallowing the organism, but some illnesses last longer and are more severe. A type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) can begin as the diarrhea is improving; this condition can occur among persons of any age but is most common in children under 5 years old and the elderly. Signs and symptoms of HUS may include fever, abdominal pain, pale skin tone, fatigue and irritability, small, unexplained bruises or bleeding from the nose and mouth, decreased urination, and swelling of the face, hands, feet, or entire body. Persons who experience these symptoms and believe they are at risk for HUS should seek emergency medical care immediately.
Anyone with legal questions about an illness or hospitalization associated with this outbreak should contact the foodborne illness attorneys at PritzkerOlsen for a free consultation.
E. coli at Cozy Vale Creamery Prompts Raw Milk Recall
Raw milk products produced at Cozy Vale Creamery in Tenino, Wash. are being recalled due to because possible E. coli contamination.
The recall was announced after the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) took environmental swabs from the dairy and discovered E.coli in the milking parlor and processing areas. Three Cozy Vale customers have had E. coli illnesses since August.
Raw milk products included in the recall are whole milk, skim milk and cream with “best if used by” dates up to and including December 6. The recalled milk is sold in in pint, quart, half-gallon and gallon containers at the on-farm store at 7018 Churchill Road, Tenino, WA and at the following locations:
Marlene’s Market, 2951 S. 38th St., Tacoma, WA
Marlene’s Market, 2565 S. Gateway Center Pl., Federal Way, WA
Mt. Community Co-op, 105 Carter St., Eatonville WA
Olympia Food Co-op, 3111, Pacific Ave., Olympia, WA
Olympia Food Co-op, 921 Rogers, Olympia, WA
Olympia Local Foods, 2442 Mottman Rd S.W., Turnwater, WA
Yelm Co-op, 404 1st St., Yelm WA
The sale of raw milk is permitted in Washington state, however WSDA warns consumers that serious, potential health risks are associated with it.
Contact the E.coli lawyers at PritzkerOlsen for a free consultation regarding an illness or hospitalization associated with this recall.
Organic Pastures Had Other Food Safety Issues Before Raw Milk E. coli Outbreak
Organic Pastures, California’s largest producer of raw milk, halted production last week after an E.coli outbreak that sickened five children was linked to the dairy’s raw milk. Owner Mark McAfee maintains his milk is healthful and risk-free, but this is not the first time the dairy has had trouble with food safety issues.
The Fresno County Department of Health has inspected Organic Pastures 10 times over the last 15 months. Four of those were routine inspections where “significant violations” were found that required mandatory re-inspection. Some of these violations were for unsanitary conditions, such as a broken toilet, lack of hot water for hand washing in the bathroom sink, manure on barn walls and exit ramps and under barn mats, all of which were cited in a report from August 24, 2010. Other reports site the lack of a concrete pad at a docking station and beneath a mobile barn.
- On September 12, 2008, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CFDA) issued a recall for raw cream manufactured at the dairy after tests showed it was contaminated with Campylobacter.
- On September 7, 2007, the CFDA issued a recall for raw cream manufactured at the dairy after Listeria monocytogenes bacteria turned up on a routine inspection.
- On September 21, 2006, the CFDA issued a recall after four children contracted E. coli infections after consuming raw milk products from the dairy.
Campylobacter, Listeria and E. coli are all dangerous pathogens that can cause serious sometimes fatal infections. With all foodborne illnesses, children are among those most a risk for serious complications, including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) which can lead to kidney failure.
A press release on the Organic Pastures website states:
“It is a common goal of Organic Pastures and the California Department of Public Health to rapidly investigate any linkage between these cases and raw milk. Each month CDFA tests all Organic Pastures’ products for pathogens, in addition Organic Pastures uses a third party for pathogen testing multiple times per week. All these tests have been negative. It has been reported to us by the California Department of Public Health that as of today all products collected from the ill patients have been negative for E. Coli 0157:H7.”
But a review of CFDA inspections does support the claim that the dairy is inspected each month. Four of the 10 inspections during the last 15 months were mandatory re-inspections. Had they not been required, the dairy would have had six inspections during a 15 month period.
In a USA Today story, McAfee says that the state of California has no evidence that shows children drank contaminated milk and that he finds the case “highly suspicious.” But, as Steve Lyle of the CFDA countered in the story, ”milk is perishable, so the product consumed by the children was not available for testing” by the time they got sick “and that’s typically to be expected.”
Anyone who experiences abdominal cramping or bloody diarrhea after consuming raw milk products should seek immediate medical attention. Those with questions regarding an illness or hospitalization associated with this outbreak should contact the national food safety law firm PritzkerOslen P.A. for a free consultation.
