Raw Milk E coli Outbreak In Missouri Sickens Nine
Fred Pritzker 
A raw milk E. coli outbreak in Missouri has now sickened nine people including two toddlers who have been hospitalized with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious, sometimes life-threatening complication associated with E.coli infections, according to the latest update from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MDHSS).
Shiga-toxin producing E. coli 0157:H7 infections have been confirmed in nine patients from Boone, Camden, Cooper, Howard and Jackson counties. Two toddlers, a two year old and a 17 month old, have been hospitalized with HUS.
Raw milk was consumed by some case patients prior to the onset of illness, but a definite source of the outbreak has not been identified. An investigation is ongoing.
The outbreak has prompted national food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker to call for better consumer protections regarding raw milk. Pritzker, who recently debated raw milk advocates as an invited guest at Harvard University Law School, says:
“My experience is that parents buying raw milk are not warned that it can cause a serious E. coli illness and hemolytic uremic syndrome.”
Symptoms of STEC infection include severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting, which last up to seven days. MDHSS officials advise anyone with these symptoms to contact a health care provider.
If you’d like to talk with food poisoning attorney Fred Pritzker about an illness or hospitalization associated with this outbreak, you can reach him 1-888-377-8900 (toll free).
Possible Raw Milk E. coli-HUS Outbreak in Missouri Prompts Food Safety Lawyer to Call for Better Consumer Protection
Fred Pritzker
Consumption of raw milk or a raw milk product was a common denominator among at least three Central Missouri E. coli O157:H7 outbreak victims. All together, nine Missourians have been infected by the same strain of the bacteria, according to the latest update from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
The three outbreak victims who consumed raw milk or raw milk products live in Boone County, including a 2-year-old who was hospitalized with hemolytic uremic syndrome, HUS. The two other outbreak victims live in Cooper and Howard counties, including a 17-month-old toddler who also was also hospitalized with HUS, a life-threatening complication of an E. coli O157:H7 infection most likely to affect children under 5 years of age.
“My experience is that parents buying raw milk are not warned that it can cause a serious E. coli illness and hemolytic uremic syndrome,” said national food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker. “And even if they were, very few of them would understand just how dangerous these illnesses are. E. coli causes unimaginable abdominal pain. If it develops into HUS, it is the illness equivalent of a full-body boa squeeze, often causing kidney failure and permanent kidney damage and sometimes causing brain damage, heart failure, blindness and death.”
Pritzker recently debated raw milk advocates as an invited guest at Harvard University Law School. There he argued for more regulation of this dangerous product.
Missouri law allows the sale and/or delivery of raw milk from a producer to an individual for that individual’s own use without a special permit (196.935 RSMo). A producer-distributor producing and distributing retail raw milk in Missouri must secure a permit to do so (2 CSR 80-3.030). These retail raw milk products must be labeled, but the regulations do not require the label to warn consumers that raw milk may be contaminated with dangerous pathogens, including E. coli O157:H7.
“Every raw milk product, whether purchased on the farm, at a farmer’s market or at a grocery store should have a label that warns consumers of the risk of severe illness and death,” said Pritzker. “Consumers of raw milk are told of the supposed benefits of raw milk, but too many of them are giving these products to their young children without knowing that raw milk can carry dangerous pathogens.”
Food poisoning attorney Fred Pritzker represents individuals and families nationwide in cases involving E. coli and hemolytic uremic syndrome. His firm is currently litigating some of the largest and most complex food safety cases in the country. Fred Pritzker can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free).
Two Toddlers With HUS In E. coli 0157:H7 Outbreak That Strikes 7 In Missouri’s Boone, Camden, Cooper and Howard Counties, Raw Milk Suspected
Fred Pritzker
I represent people sickened by raw milk throughout the United States. As raw milk advocates continue to promote its alleged health benefits, I see how the inherent dangers of raw milk are making some people very sick. One of my clients is permanently paralyzed from the neck down after drinking contaminated raw milk.
Now two children in Missouri, one in Boone County, are in the hospital with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a complication of an E. coli O157 infection that generally causes kidney damage, including kidney failure. It can also cause brain damage, heart attack, blindness and death. Sadly, even if a child recovers from E. coli-HUS, he or she is at risk of needing a kidney transplant at some point in the future.
Contact Fred for a free consultation.In addition to the two toddlers with HUS, there are 5 other victims of the E.coli 0157 and HUS outbreak in Missouri. All of the victims of this outbreak have suffered extreme physical pain and emotional distress. In addition, all E. coli victims are at greater risk of future kidney problems.
It seems impossible that something as wholesome as milk could cause this much damage, but I see it all of the time. For the parents of the children who have HUS, I would like to say that you are not at fault. Even if you were told of the risks associated with raw milk (and most consumers are not), you could never have imagined that milk could make your little ones so sick. I am available for a free consultation.
Missouri E. coli Victims Were Consumers of Raw Milk
Fred Pritzker
Consumption of raw milk or a raw milk product was a common denominator among three Central Missouri E. coli O157:H7 outbreak victims, but officials said they are still trying to determine the source of the pathogen. All together, five Missourians have been infected by the same strain of the bacteria.
The three outbreak victims who consumed raw milk or raw milk products live in Boone County, including a 2-year-old who was hospitalized with a confirmed or suspected case of hemolytic uremic syndrome, HUS.
The two other case patients live in Cooper and Howard counties, including a 17-month-old toddler who also was hospitalized with HUS, a life-threatening complication of toxic E. coli infection most likely to affect children under 5 years of age. The illnesses have occurred since late March.
Raw milk E. coli outbreaks are nothing new. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, Campylobacter and Salmonella are the three most common types of enteric bacteria that cause raw milk outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness. The bugs grow harmlessly in the guts of cows and are expelled in their feces, which is impossible to keep out of the milk supply. If the milk is pasteurized, the flash-heating process is enough to kill the harmful bacteria. But raw milk is not subjected to this kill step, giving possible pathogens a place to harbor and multiply.
National food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker recently debated raw milk advocates as an invited guest at Harvard University Law School. His firm, PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is investigating the Central Missouri E. coli outbreak and accepting calls from people whose loved ones have fallen ill. Mr. Pritzker is one of the few U.S. trial lawyers practicing extensively in the area of food-borne illness litigation and his firm has collected millions for victims of E. coli O157:H7 and other types of food poisoning. Call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or leave your contact information and Fred or another attorney from the firm will call you.
Tennis Trip by St. Scholastica Ends With E. coli Outbreak
E. coli from hamburger may have been the cause of an outbreak of vomiting and diarrhea that sickened about two-thirds of the men’s tennis team from the College of St. Scholastica.
Scholastica player Mike Aro told the Duluth News-Tribune that medical personnel who took care of ill team members said hamburgers the team ate on Friday could have been the cause of the outbreak, but they weren’t sure. The medical people mentioned that the illnesses could possibly have been due to E. coli infection. The hamburgers were served Friday night at a team barbecue that followed the end of matches during their annual spring break trip to Florida. An original theory that the outbreak was caused by pool water has been discounted.
About two-thirds of the team fell ill, disrupting airplane travel on the way home to Minnesota. In Atlanta on Saturday, a number of team members took a long layover because of their sickness. It took some until Monday night to return to St. Scholastica.
Ground beef is a known carrier of E. coli O157:H7 and other types of E. coli that contain Shiga-like toxins that attack a person’s red blood cells. Bloody diarrhea and vomiting are two of the symptoms. Infections can develop into life threatening HUS, or hemolytic uremic syndrome, which causes kidney failure and can result in other serious harms.
Even short-live infections of toxic E. coli can have long-term negative health affects in a person. Studies have shown that bouts of E. coli poisoning can cause vascular injury that can lead to hypertension, and other health concerns, later in life.
A good E. coli lawyer will consider the long-term effects when pursuing a claim for the injured person. Public health agencies should be investigating the St. Scholastica E. coli outbreak affecting men’s tennis players from this well-regarded school.
Bioluminescent E.coli Detector Glows Like A Firefly
Researchers in Wales have developed a testing device that lights up like a firefly when it detects the presence of E.coli and other food poisoning bacteria.
The Bioluminescent Assay in Real-Time (Bart), was developed jointly by Prof. Jim Murray of the School of Biosciences at Cardiff Univesity and Dr. Laurence Tisi of Lumora Ltd.
Bart detects specific DNA sequences of bacteria, such as E.coli, by using a version of the enzyme luciferase, which also produces light in fireflies, to produce a light signal. When samples are placed inside , the device begins to glow within 10 to 60 minutes if it detects device the DNA of E.coli or other food poisoning bacteria.
This device allows users to test quickly and easily for foodborne pathogens, Professor Murray said in a statement. “The food industry has been looking for dependable, fast and convenient microbiological testing for a long time. Our system will allow workers to test a wide variety of foods in a simple system which uses the most sensitive molecular technology. Portable versions of the device mean that it’s now even possible to test farm animals in the food chain.
“We now want to apply BART technology to a range of other diseases. The most obvious and most pressing need is HIV-AIDS. Patients need to be continuously tested for their viral loads so that their treatment dosage can be adjusted. At the moment, this requires laboratory facilities which are in short supply in Africa. We hope to create a device which can be used easily in those countries.”
HUS Risk Higher in Children with E. coli Treated with Antibiotics
The risk of hemolytic uremic syndrome, also referred to as HUS, in children with E. coli O157:H7 is higher when they are treated with any kind of antibiotic, according to a study finding that affirms mainstream treatment.
The HUS E. coli study conducted by pediatricians and other health scientists in New Mexico, Washington and Missouri looked at results of 259 children analyzed in five states over 9.5 years. Thirty-six of the children, or 14 percent, developed HUS, a life-threatening disease that causes bloody diarrhea, shuts down a person’s kidneys and can cause stroke, heart attack, seizures, central nervous system disorders and severe anemia.
The analysis demonstrated that children who received antibiotics during the diarrhea phase more frequently developed HUS than those who did not: 36 percent versus 12 percent. “The higher rate of HUS was observed across all antibiotic classes,” said a summary of the research. “Antibiotic use during E. coli O157:H7 infections is associated with a higher rate of subsequent HUS, and should be avoided.” The study is published by Clinical Infectious Diseases, an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
HUS Litigation Help
Our law firm represents children and their families in cases involving Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) resulting from E. coli O157:H7 poisoning.
HUS is a life-threatening illness that can result in permanent and severe kidney damage and other serious medical problems. We know that parents and loved ones have many questions about this disease, particularly because of the risk of future complications. If you have questions or comments or wish to talk to one of the highly experienced foodborne illness attorneys at our firm, contact us toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or by leaving your contact information. An attorney will call you.
