Raw Milk E. coli Outbreak Sickens 5 Children in Oregon, 3 Have HUS
Attorney Fred Pritzker 
E.coli 0157:H7 was found in samples taken from cows, manure and raw milk from Foundation Farm in Clackamas County, Oregon, health officials announced today. The positive test samples confirm that the farm is the source of an outbreak that has sickened at least five children under the age of 14, four of whom have been hospitalized, three are battling hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a complication of E.coli infection that causes kidney failure.
The children’s families were all members of a herd-share program in which members buy shares of a herd and then receive milk in exchange. Although retail sales of raw milk are not legal in Oregon, herd-shares are permitted.
The samples that establish the link between the outbreak and the farm came from leftover milk recovered from one family, rectal swabs from two of four cows, and multiple manure and other environmental samples collected at the farm, according to health officials.
“We continue to warn people to not drink the raw milk or any products made from the raw milk that came from this farm or any other source. Pasteurized milk is the only safe milk because it kills harmful bacteria such as E.coli O157,” said Oregon Public Health State Epidemiologist Katrina Hedberg, M.D.
So far, five children, ages 1 to 14, have laboratory-confirmed cases of E.coli infection and another 13 have reported experiencing diarrhea, one of the main symptoms of an E.coli infection. All of them drank raw milk from Foundation Farm. Symptoms of an E.coli infection, which also include abdominal cramping, usually develop two to eight days after exposure.
Food poisoning attorney Fred Pritzker is founder and president of the law firm PritzkerOlsen P.A., a national leader in food safety law. If your child has an illness or hospitalization associated with this outbreak and you have legal questions, contact the attorneys at PritzkerOlsen for a free consultation.
Child with E. coli HUS Kidney Failure Gets Award
Attorney Fred Pritzker
An E.coli 0157:H7 infection nearly claimed the life of Ashlyn Tangen, a 6-year-old girl from Sioux Valley, S.D., who on April 13 received a Young Hero Award from the National Guard for her brave battle, according to a story in the Brookings Register.
Ashlyn developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious, sometimes fatal complication of E.coli infections that causes kidney failure and usually develops in young children.
Ongoing raw milk E.coli outbreaks in Oregon and Missouri have sickened a number of people including at least four small children who have been hospitalized with HUS.
Ashlyn missed two months of Kindergarten as she fought the E.coli HUS infection that shut down her kidneys. She spent 30 days in the intensive care unit and required a feeding tube for two and a half weeks as she underwent daily dialysis treatments that lasted three-hours.
“We were very lucky, because right before we were going to be forced to make a decision about long-term dialysis and performing another surgery, her kidneys started working and producing urine,” her mother, Julie, told the paper.
On September 7, Ashlyn’s parents took her to the clinic because she had severe diarrhea. The next morning she was in the emergency room. By September 11, HUS had shut down her kidney function. She had gained six pounds of fluid by the time doctors performed emergency surgery.
A number of community fundraisers have been held for Ashlyn, who was released from the hospital October 7 and continues to have kidney check-ups.
The S.D. National Guard Enlisted Association created the Young Hero Awards in the early 1990s. Since that time, hundreds of children ages 3-18 have been recognized for displaying courage and bravery in the face of life-threatening disease, illness or injury.
“We consider ourselves very lucky and know God was watching over Ashlyn, as she was a very sick little girl,” Ashlyn’s mother told the paper. “We know that if the dialysis wouldn’t have been successful, and had continued, after four months we would have been looking at a kidney transplant. Very hard to imagine all that from E Coli!”
The law firm of PritzkerOlsen is a national leader in food safety law. If you have legal questions about an illness or hospitalization associated with a foodborne illness outbreak, contact them for a free consultation. They can be reached toll free at 1 (888) 377-8900.
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.
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.
