Amarillo Child E. coli Outbreak Sickens 7 Kids
An outbreak investigation in Amarillo of 7 child E. coli cases is in progress and a local television station is reporting that four of the seven victims were hospitalized. Quoting a spokesperson for the City of Amarillo Department of Public Health, Pronews 7 reported that possible sources of the outbreak include exposure to infected animals, international travel and human-to-human contact with infected individuals.
If the source is food, no specific link has yet been found. E. coli O157:H7 is the type of E. coli involved in the outbreak and area doctors are on the lookout for cases and a have been alerted to report any cases.
The health department is urging anyone with symptoms to see their doctor. Symptoms include bloody diarrhea and stomach pain. Food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys also is investigating the Amarillo child E. coli outbreak. Public calls are being taken at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form to receive a free case consultation.
The hospitalizations indicate that some of the children developed a life-threatening complication known as E. coli HUS, or hemolytic uremic syndrome. HUS usually results in kidney failure and can lead to even more complications, such as stroke, coma and severe anemia. Children under 5 are the most susceptible to HUS, which leads to death in about 5 percent of cases.
Pritzker Olsen currently represents HUS E. coli food poisoning victims and is one of the very few law firms in the country that practice extensively in the area of foodborne illness. Our lawyers have recovered millions for victims and their families.
Child Daycare E. coli Outbreak Reviewed by County
A fatal daycare E. coli outbreak in Vancouver, Washington, spread through person-to-person contact and was not caused all at once from a serving of contaminated food, according to a review of the 2010 E. coli O157:H7 outbreak by Clark County Public Health.
A total of 23 children and four staff members were found to have either probable or confirmed cases of E.coli O157:H7. One child, 4-year-old Ronan Wilson, died April 8 after a week at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland. Three other children were hospitalized.
According to a story this week in The Columbian newspaper, Dr. Alan Melnick, the county’s public health officer, told the county board that officials first learned of the case Friday, March 19, after a child was hospitalized. The report said the child attended the Fletch Family Daycare, but an initial investigation showed there were no other sick children at the daycare. Melnick reported that the same physician who treated the first child reported a second case in a Fletch Family Daycare attendee on March 26. At that point testing was urged for all children and adults in the daycare.
But by April 1, Ronan was hospitalized and he died 7 days later. The newspaper quoted Melnick as saying that the pediatrician who first saw Ronan concluded Ronan had the flu because he didn’t have bloody diarrhea and said Ronan didn’t need to be tested, even after learning Ronan attended a day care where other children had E. coli.
While bloody diarrhea occurs in up to 90 percent of E.coli cases, Ronan and others didn’t initially have it, Melnick said. The commissioners also received a letter from Dr. Anthony Marfin, the state epidemiologist for communicable diseases. Marfin concluded the county acted within state guidelines while responding to the outbreak.
The person-to-person transmission found to have occurred at the Fletch Family Daycare is consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data that most daycare E. coli outbreaks happen via fecal-oral spreading due to poor hand-washing hygiene. In outbreaks of E. coli, five to 15 percent of people infected by the organism develop life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome, HUS. Of all age groups, young children are the most susceptible to contracting HUS, which typically involves kidney failure and can lead to other severe health issues.
Law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., currently represents families who are dealing with E. coli infection and HUS. Over the years our attorneys have recovered millions for victims of these outbreaks, including daycare E. coli outbreaks from around the country.
For a free case consultation or to ask legal questions of an E. coli lawyer who has handled many HUS cases, call our firm at 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.
WA Child E. coli Case Prompts Alert to Parents
A Clark County, Washington, E. coli alert is active for parents in the west Hazel Dell area whose kids used the play area at Lake Shore Athletic Club between July 10 and August 4.
Dr. Alan Melnick, the county’s top public health official, said the warning stems from a child who played there while possibly contagious with E. coli O157:H7. Melnick told The Columbian newspaper in Vancouver, Washington, that affected parents should watch their children for symptoms and see a doctor immediately for a stool culture.
E. coli O157:H7 is a bacterial infection that can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea that may be bloody. Fever is usually mild or nonexistent.
Health officials in the Vancouver area have already seen one E. coli death this year. The deceased 4-year-old Hazel Dell boy contracted E. coli at his day care. A doctor initially thought the boy had the flu because he did not have bloody diarrhea.
According to the newspaper, the athletic club has voluntarily closed the play area. It will reportedly be disinfected and remain closed until the health department determines there’s no risk for exposure.
Melnick said the original source of infection in the sick child is not known and that the child is doing OK. Health department officials are using attendance records from the athletic club to contact as many families as possible who might be at risk.
E. coli O157:H7 is a dangerous pathogen that can sicken people when it contaminates food or water. It grows benignly in the guts of cattle and is expelled through their feces. Once infected, people can spread the organism through their hands after going to the bathroom or diapering a child. Thorough hand washing is important in stopping the spread of E. coli.
Little Sailors Child Care E. coli Outbreak
The Tri-County Health Department in Colorado is investigating an outbreak of E. coli at the Little Sailors Child Development facility in Northglenn.
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.
Ellensburg WA Daycare E. coli Outbreak Sickens 7
The number of cases in a daycare E. coli outbreak in Ellensburg, Washington, has grown to seven and county health officials have implemented a program to test children and staff before the two facilities can reopen.
The temporary shutdown of the Ellensburg daycare facilities due to E. coli O157:H7 illnesses began June 30 in an attempt to halt the spread of illness. According to the Kittitas County Public Health Department, about 120 children attend the facilities under the care of 15 staff.
Health Officer Dr. Mark Larson said in a press release that the illness is usually caused by eating or drinking contaminated food or water, but can also be spread from person-to-person if infected people do not wash their hands after using a toilet or if a person does not wash their hands after changing the diaper of an infected child.
In daycare E. coli outbreaks, families have legal rights to compensation in connection with illness suffered by their children. For a free case consultation or for answers to questions surrounding who pays for health care expenses, lost wages and other harms, call an E. coli lawyer at Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). If you prefer online communication, we have a contact form on the side of this Web page.
Our firm is a leading national litigator in foodborne illness outbreaks and has direct experience in representing families involved in daycare E. coli infection. While some people recover from E. coli O157:H7 with no medical treatment, there is significant risk of serious complications, especially in children under the age of 5.
People of any age, but especially young children, can develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) from E. coli. This potentially fatal disease often leads to acute kidney failure and sometimes leads to other serious conditions, including stroke, brain damage, paralysis, heart problems and anemia.
Note to families in the Ellensburg area affected by this daycare E. coli outbreak:
E. coli testing is being implemented before the facilities reopen. A county press release said one negative test will now be accepted if an individual has had no symptoms of E. coli within the past three weeks. These symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea (sometimes bloody diarrhea), or abdominal cramping. For those who have had any symptoms of the illness and those who have tested positive for E. coli, two negative tests will still be required before that person is allowed to return.
Kittitas County is providing free testing for the children.
