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.

Boulder County Public Health announced the outbreak in a press release, saying two children have been hospitalized and one has been released.

Since June 10, 16 people who reported drinking raw milk from Billy Goat Dairy have become ill. In connection with the goat milk outbreak, Boulder County has ordered the dairy to stop distribution of its raw milk products.

According to health department officials, Longmont’s Billy Goat Dairy operates a goat share program in which individuals buy a share of a goat and in return receive raw, unpasteurized milk. The agency is contacting every household who participates in the program to check for illness.

E. coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter are types of bacteria found in the intestines of animals that can be passed in their feces to food.

If you or a loved one has been sickened in the Billy Goat raw milk Campylobacter and E. coli outbreak, contact food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) for a free consultation regarding your legal options. Our law firm represents raw milk E. coli victims and currently represents a Pennsylvania man in a raw milk Campylobacter lawsuit.

In that case, the client’s Campylobacter infection left him paralyzed and critically ill in a hospital.

Serious cases of E. coli can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which leads to kidney failure and can cause many other serious health injuries, including brain damage, heart problems and harm to the central nervous system. A person of any age can suffer from HUS, but young children are most susceptible to it.

HUS devastates little bodies.  My HUS clients all came close to death, suffered kidney failure and were hospitalized for weeks or months.  Parents lose income because they are at their extremely ill child’s bedside, and at the same time, the medical bills keep coming.  All of this, and they have to stand by helplessly hoping and praying their child survives.  It is tragic.

Now that there is solid, microbiological evidence that the Hartmann dairy farm is the source of the outbreak, the family of the HUS victim can seek compensation on behalf of their child and themselves for the medical expenses, loss of income, pain and suffering and other expenses and losses.  This is not a matter of being out to get anyone.  The financial strain on a family in their situation is so enormous that it puts a strain on relationships and may prevent their child from getting the best care both now and in the future.

The following is a press release from the Minnesota Department of Health:

Laboratory testing conducted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) this week provided additional evidence that the Hartmann dairy farm, of rural Gibbon, was the source of a strain of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria that sickened at least five Minnesotans after they consumed raw, unpasteurized milk or other dairy products from the farm. MDH reported four cases of illness last week, and a fifth case has subsequently been confirmed in a young child who was not hospitalized.

MDH first discovered the outbreak through reports of E. coli O157:H7 illness from health care providers. The department conducted an investigation into the illnesses, which were scattered across the state, and found that the only thing the ill people had in common was consumption of dairy products from the Hartmann farm. This strong epidemiological link is now reinforced by the laboratory confirmation that the specific strain of E. coli O157:H7 found in the ill patients has also been found in multiple animals and at multiple sites on the Hartmann farm. This strain of E. coli has not previously been found in Minnesota. Furthermore, laboratory tests confirmed that cheese samples collected last week from the farm contained another form of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, demonstrating that an ongoing pathway of contamination existed on the farm.

The test results underscore the dangers of consuming milk that has not been pasteurized to eliminate E. coli and other potentially deadly bacteria. Leading public health organizations such as the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics all advocate pasteurization as a standard public health practice.

“Raw milk presents a serious health risk,” said Minnesota Health Commissioner Dr. Sanne Magnan. “This risk isn’t a matter of personal opinion; it’s an established scientific fact. Drinking raw milk or eating products made from raw milk can expose consumers to a variety of organisms that can result in anything from a few days of diarrhea to kidney failure and death. Raw milk is especially dangerous for children, whose immune systems can’t fight off infection as well as healthy adults.”

In addition to the cases linked to the Hartmann farm, MDH is investigating several other illnesses with a connection to products from the farm. MDA has embargoed dairy products on the Hartmann farm, prohibiting movement or release of the products off the farm.

It is illegal to sell raw milk in Minnesota, although occasional sales are allowed on the farm where the milk is produced. For details, visit the MDA website at http://www.mda.state.mn.us/en/food/safety/rawmilkinfo.aspx. Additional information, including a newly developed Frequently Asked Questions document is available on the MDH website at http://www.health.state.mn.us/foodsafety/foods/rawmilk.html.

The Hartmann raw milk E. coli outbreak remains under investigation.

If you or a loved one is a victim, your legal questions will be answered free by law firm Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or 612-338-0202. We currently represent a man paralyzed from pathogens in raw milk.

Paralysis is one of the risks that HUS patients face. The disease, which is prone to attack children, is mostly associated with kidney failure. But our experience with many HUS clients is that the illness can exact many other harms, including anemia, heart problems, brainstem injury and central nervous system disorders.

It is important for any raw milk E. coli lawsuit to address these long-term health problems and related compensation.

The Star Tribune reported today that Minnesota state officials obtained a list of Hartmann milk customers — probably more than 100 names. The state is attempting to reach the families to see if anyone became ill after drinking the product.

By law in Minnesota, raw milk can be sold only occasionally at the farm where it was produced. The Star Tribune reported that two Hartmann customers have told the newspaper they bought their milk through a farm-to-city delivery system. The alleged arrangement is under investigation.

Pritzker Olsen is a law firm that  represents people injured by E. coli O157:H7-induced HUS  resulting from adulterated food, contaminated raw milk, water, and petting zoos.

One of the most urgent questions asked by parents and survivors concerns the long-term prognosis: What’s going to happen in the future based on medical opinion?

If my child or loved one survives this devastating illness, will they have kidney problems, anemia, hypertension or other serious medical issues at some point in their lives?

The medical literature is the first place to look. A number of medical journal articles have addressed the long-term prognosis associated with HUS.

According to a leading review article in 2003, approximately 25% of HUS survivors demonstrate long-term kidney problems following and as a result of HUS. Those problems may take years to develop. Another article from 2005 states that about 30% to 50% of children who survive the acute phase of HUS are later found to have signs of kidney damage and/or hypertension.

There is no single test or evaluation to determine whether an HUS survivor will develop future problems. Some of the factors that may predict future problems include:

• The severity of the initial illness
• Whether there were central  nervous symptoms (reduced consciousness, coma, stroke or seizures)
• Length of time during which urine output was absent or significantly decreased
• Length of time during which dialysis was required (especially if over four weeks)
• Length of time during which hospitalization was required
• Whether pancreatic damage (hyperglycemia) was observed during the acute phase of HUS
• Continued presence of proteinuria caused by  greater-than-normal amounts of protein in the urine
• Ongoing elevated blood pressure (hypertension)
• Abnormal kidney ultrasound
• Impaired kidney function expressed as impaired GFR still present one year after acute HUS.

One of our most important tasks in representing people with HUS is to determine whether an HUS survivor has made a full recovery or is going to experience life-long and potentially very serious problems with their kidneys or blood pressure. Correct medical follow-up and treatment are key to this assessment.

Pritzker Olsen attorneys are highly experienced in representing HUS survivors. We represent HUS survivors throughout the United States and are involved in virtually every E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. We have collected some of the largest E. coli O157:H7 and HUS recoveries for our clients. Call today for a free consultation at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our online consultation form.

Minnesota health officials have linked three cases of E. coli O157:H7 poisoning with raw milk from Hartmann Dairy Farm in Gibbon, Minnesota:

The Minnesota Department of Health urges anyone who may have recently purchased milk from the Hartmann Dairy Farm, also known as M.O.M.’s, to discard the product and not consume it. The milk may be labeled organic and consumers may be unaware that the milk has not been pasteurized. In addition, consumers should not eat cheese, ice cream or other dairy products from the farm, which also may have been made from raw, unpasteurized milk.

The Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture are continuing to investigate a cluster of four E. coli O157:H7 illnesses that all have the same “pulsed field gel electrophoresis” (PFGE) patterns, or DNA fingerprint. Three of the four cases report a link to milk from Hartmann Farm; the fourth case is under investigation. Three of the four people were hospitalized as a result of their illness; one case has developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

Minnesota law prohibits most raw milk sales, except for occasional purchases directly at the farm where the milk is produced.

Raw milk is a dangerous product that should not be sold to the public. Virtually every health department, federal, state and local, recommends against its use. It is particularly dangerous for young children, people with compromised immune systems and the elderly.

A recent study by 11 epidemiologists examined rates of death, by age group, in 3,464 people who were sickened by hamburger disease between 2000-2006. The scientific review looked at deaths associated with E. coli O157:H7 infection and a complication of E. coli known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS is a life-threatening condition and the biggest cause of kidney failure in children throughout the world.

The researchers, led by Dr. L Hannah Gould of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found that 218 E. coli victims, or 6.3 percent of the total, developed HUS. In all E. coli HUS cases, death occurred 4.6 percent of the time.

The research, published in the October 2009 , is more proof  that the most vulnerable populations to hamburger E. coli are children under 5  and adults older than 60. In hamburger E. coli outbreaks, the highest proportion of HUS cases occur in young children — 15.3 percent of total cases.

Three percent of the child HUS victims died whereas .3 percent of children died from E. coli without developing  HUS syndrome. HUS is best known for attacking the kidneys, but the disease also can result in hemorrhaging, strokes, anemia and heart problems. As a producer of poisonous Shiga toxin, E. coli O157:H7 also has the capacity to invade the blood brain barrier and cause damage to the central nervous system.

E. coli O157:H7 patients older than 60 had the highest death rate  in the study. With or without E. coli HUS, 12 of 390 elderly victims of hamburger disease died. In elderly patients who developed HUS, five of 15, or 33 percent, did not survive. Adults poisoned in hamburger E. coli outbreaks also risk developing thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), a condition aligned with HUS.

E. coli O157:H7 is banned by the federal government from hamburger. Obviously, that measure hasn’t stopped hamburger E. coli outbreaks.

Because E. coli O157:H7 in hamburger is classified as an adulterant, you and your family have special legal rights to press for recoveries against the meatpacker and other companies in the supply chain who sold the adulterated product.

Food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen is currently representing hamburger E. coli victims and is a national leader in foodborne illness litigation. As one of the few firms in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness, we have recovered tens of millions of dollars for the families who have suffered injury and loss.

To contact an E. coli lawyer for a free case consultation, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete one of our online contact forms . You owe us nothing until we win your case.

The winter lettuce from Arizona was processed by Ohio-based Freshway Foods and distributed to wholesalers and institutions in 23 states and the District of Columbia. But the outbreak has been centered around college campuses in Columbus, Ohio; Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Amherst, New York.

In addition, middle and high school students at four schools in Wappingers Falls and nearby Hopewell Junction were sickened. In fact, of 30 total illnesses considered part of the outbreak in the latest CDC report, two of the worst illnesses were suffered by a 15-year-old and 17-year-old in this New York enclave.

The two students suffered hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening disease that strikes in five to 15 percent of E. coli infections. Fortunately, no deaths have occurred. HUS is the leading cause of kidney failure in children worldwide, but it carries many other dangers ranging from brain stem injury to paralysis, coma, heart damage and central nervous system disorder.

So far, just one other victim of the Freshway Foods lettuce E. coli outbreak is reported to have suffered HUS. She is a freshman at Daemen College in Amherst, New York, and she has retained food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen to represent her in litigation for recoveries.

Fred Pritzker, founder and president of Pritzker Olsen, has monitored this E. coli O145 lettuce outbreak since it was first rumored in late April. His firm is conducting its own investigation of what caused the contamination and continues to be in contact with victims and public health officials investigating the outbreak.

Currently, the Food and Drug Administration is working closely with New York and other states  to determine where in the distribution chain the point of contamination likely occurred. Public health and agriculture officials in Michigan, New York, Ohio, and Tennessee, along with CDC, are actively engaged in the investigation and are expected to publish more information as it becomes available.

The last lengthy update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention came on May 12.

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.

According to the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the total number of confirmed cases in the romaine lettuce E. coli outbreak has grown from 19 to 23. Another seven illnesses are considered probable.

Health officials say multiple lines of evidence support the finding that contaminated romaine harvested in Yuma, Arizona, and distributed by Ohio-based Freshway Foods caused the outbreak. Young people dominate the group of known victims, including students from Columbus, Ohio; Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Amherst, New York, home of Daemen College.

The best evidence so far is a bag of previously unopened romaine that was distributed by Freshway to an “institution” in one of the outbreak states. The lettuce tested positive for the outbreak strain of E. coli O145, which emits the same potentially deadly Shiga toxin as E. coli O157:H7, the most common STEC.

Recently, the investigation into the Freshway Foods lettuce E. coli outbreak was bolstered by a case-control study done in Michigan that found a significant association between outbreak victims and consumption of romaine lettuce.

Among the confirmed and probable cases with reported dates available, illnesses began between April 10, 2010, and April 26.  Infected individuals range in age from 13 years old to 31 years old and the median age is 19 years. Sixty-six percent of patients are male.

Among the 30 patients with available information, 12,  (40 percent) were hospitalized. Three patients have developed a type of kidney failure known as hemolytic-uremic syndrome, or HUS. No deaths have been reported.

Food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen has been in close contact with victims of this outbreak and is currently accepting cases. Contact an E. coli lawyer at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our online contact form.

Pritzker Olsen is one of the few firms in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation. Over the years we have collected millions for victims of food poisoning and we are involved on behalf of victims in practically every major outbreak of food poisoning.