For Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli, a category dominated by E. coli O157:H7, the total number of cases grew for the fourth straight year to 5,309. By month, the two highest totals were recorded in August (843 cases) and July (668). The lowest monthly total for E. coli cases in 2008 was 147 in February.

The CDC didn’t provide a breakdown of the incidence rate, but it noted in highlights to the report that 2004 was the last year in which E. coli O157:H7 was measured at an incidence rate that met the U.S. Healthy People 2010 goal of less than 1 case per 100,000 population. “Since then, the incidence has increased,” the report says.

Here’s a look at the total number of confirmed E. coli cases tracked by CDC since 2004 in the United States:

• 2004 — 3,169
• 2005 — 3,529
• 2006 — 4,432
• 2007 — 4,847
• 2008 — 5,309

Law firm Pritzker Olsen is one of the country’s leading practitioners of E. coli litigation and other lawsuits stemming from foodborne illness. If you or a loved one has been sickened by E. coli, contact us for a free case consultation at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or submit the contact form on the side of this Web page.

Over the years we have collected millions for victims of E. coli O157:H7 infection and other types of food poisoning. This includes handling of many serious cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).

As a law firm for victims we are involved in practically every major outbreak of foodborne illness and are dedicated to taking an active role in efforts to prevent E. coli outbreaks and reduce the spread of disease from contamination in our food supply.

A 53-year-old woman from Lakewood, Colorado, has filed a buffalo E. coli lawsuit against the Rocky Mountain Natural Meats after eating contaminated bison and developing an E. coli O157:H7 infection that caused her to be hospitalized. She is represented by law firm Pritzker Olsen. The same firm  represents a man from Baltimore, Maryland, who is one of seven people identified by health officials as being infected by the same strain of E. coli. Five are in Colorado and one is in New York.

Attorney Fred Pritzker, founder and president of the law firm, said that in the past and currently, bison meat has not been subject to the same E. coli O157:H7 testing requirements as ground beef. Many people assume that bison meat is safer than beef, but that reputation needs to be re-examined. Interestingly, the bison industry recognized this concern over two years ago.

The National Bison Association has noted:

Under our current status… bison are not required to undergo testing for E. coli O157:H7. Most of the commercial-scale USDA bison processors do conduct their own testing on a voluntary basis, and many of those systems exceed the standards required by USDA. However, the designation as a non-amenable species also allows producers to sell meat to the general public without undergoing some of the standard antimicrobial testing required by other commodities.

The statement from the bison trade group went on to say that any product recall based upon test results identifying the presence of E. coli O157:H7 would have a negative impact for the overall bison industry. However, the impact of an incident in which a consumer became ill from consuming meat that did not have to undergo testing for E. coli O157H7 could be even more devastating.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is not the basis for instilling consumer confidence in the integrity of our industry,” the statement said.

In response to the outbreak linked to Rocky Mountain Natural Meats, the bison association is telling its members to emphasize that the only products subject to recall were produced by the Colorado company. All recalled packages are marked with USDA establishment number “EST. 20247”.

• 16-ounce packages of “GREAT RANGE BRAND ALL NATURAL GROUND BISON.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 21, June 22 or June 24, 2010.
• 16-ounce packages of “NATURE’S RANCHER GROUND BUFFALO.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 22, 2010.
• 16-ounce packages of “THE BUFFALO GUYS ALL NATURAL GROUND BUFFALO 90% LEAN.” These products have a lot number of 0147.
• 12-ounce packages of “GREAT RANGE BRAND ALL NATURAL BISON STEAK MEDALLIONS.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 23 and 24, 2010
• 12-ounce packages of “GREAT RANGE BRAND ALL NATURAL BISON SIRLOIN STEAKS.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 20, June 23 and 24, 2010
• 15-pound boxes of “ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATURAL MEATS, INC. BISON 10 OZ SIRLOIN STEAK.” These products went to restaurants and bear a Julian Code of 0141.

Pritzker Olsen already represents a woman from Lakewood, Colorado, in a Rocky Mountain Natural Meats E. coli lawsuit filed this week in Golden, Colorado. In that case, a woman was hospitalized for several days after eating E. coli-tainted buffalo purchased at a King Soopers grocery store in Lakewood.

In the Baltimore case, the 28-year-old man was called several days ago by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene with information that he was infected with the same strain of E. coli O157:H7 that  sickened the Lakewood victim, a cluster of others in Colorado and one person in New York.

Our Maryland client ate ground buffalo and fell ill on June 14. When his illness progressed to bloody diarrhea, he saw a physician in Lutherville, Maryland, where a stool culture was ordered.

Great Range Ground Bison and Nature’s Rancher Ground Buffalo are two of the brands USDA has associated with this outbreak. They are included in the Rocky Mountain Natural Meats recall, issued July 2 for 66,000 pounds of ground buffalo and other bison products.

Pritzker Olsen is in the midst of its own investigation of the Colorado buffalo E. coli outbreak and continues to accept cases from this outbreak. To contact an E. coli attorney at the firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the online contact form on the side of this Web page.

Our consultations with you are free and you will owe us nothing until we win your case for you.

The threat of  E. coli O157:H7 and other pathogens in raw milk has been a running story in Wisconsin ever since the Legislature attempted early this year to pass a bill legalizing on-farm sales of unpasteurized products.

The bill passed but Gov. Jim Doyle vetoed it in a nod to overwhelming opposition from health professionals and the mainstream dairy industry.

The NBC television news affiliate in Green Bay provided an in-depth follow-up story last night to air out the issue. Some farmers are still clamoring for open trade in raw milk, which would inevitably lead to more outbreaks of E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter.

The piece by photojournalist Mike Fisher featured an interview with E. coli lawyer Fred Pritzker, whose views on the subject have been molded by witnessing first-hand the suffering of many clients infected by food poisoning caused by raw milk. His firm currently represents a Pennsylvania man who was paralyzed after drinking contaminated raw milk in a highly publicized Campylobacter outbreak that resulted in Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS).

“I think the Governor is right, I’m representing people all over the country in raw milk cases who have been harmed grievously by drinking raw milk,” Pritzker said.

Pritzker is the founder and president of the national food safety law firm, Pritzker Olsen. His firm represents survivors of foodborne illness in cases involving  pathogenic microorganisms and natural toxins including Salmonella, Clostridium botulinum, Campylobacter jejuni, Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio cholerae, Clostridium perfringens, Shigella, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Hepatitis A virus, Norwalk virus and Scombroid poisoning.

The firm is involved in virtually every national outbreak and has collected large sums on behalf of people injured or killed by adulterated food. In addition, the firm is devoted to educating the public about food safety issues and advocating for badly needed food safety legislation and increased funding for the federal, state and local agencies charged with protecting our food.

Mr. Pritzker and members of his firm are frequent commentators on food safety issues and have been interviewed by and profiled in a number of media outlets including the New York Times, Associated Press, Wall Street Journal and CNN.

Dr. Divya Jaroni, a food microbiologist at Southern University Ag Center, will head the study in collaboration with scientists at Louisiana State University and Texas Tech University.

The team will study  the prevalence  of  E. coli under different herd, farm and environment conditions across several  farms. Guidelines for on-farm Best Management Practices  will be developed and the effectiveness of these practices in reducing E. coli O157:H7 on small-scale cow/calf operations will be validated.

The grant money comes from the USDA through its National Institute of Food and Agriculture – Agricultural and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program.

E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef and other beef products is a major food safety concern and one approach to reduce the threat of contamination in the slaughter process is to develop farming and ranching practices that reduce the load of the pathogen inside the animals before they are butchered.

These bacteria grow harmlessly inside the hind guts of cows and are expelled in feces. When the organisms contaminate cuts of meat at the packing plant, they become a danger to humans because they emit a powerful toxin once inside a person’s intestines. These Shiga toxins attack red blood cells in a process that often leads to clotting and kidney failure. Once in the bloodstream they can cause heart damage, central nervous system disorders, coma, paralysis and brain injury.

In 5 to 15 percent of cases, E. coli infections develop into life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) or a related condition known as thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP.) Children under 5 years old are most susceptible to getting HUS.

Doyle acknowledged that the legalization of raw milk is an increasingly contentious issue around the country, not just in Wisconsin. For that reason his veto is a powerful statement that has meaning far beyond the state’s borders. Rep. Chris Danou, D-Trempealeau,  immediately talked about trying for an override but the odds of that happening are extremely long.

Doyle was eloquent in a statement explaining his veto: “I cannot ignore potential harmful health effects of consuming unpasteurized milk that have been raised by many groups… I recognize that there are strong feelings on both sides of this matter, but I must side with public health and the safety of the dairy industry.”

The governor’s action will undoubtedly prevent outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7, a potentially deadly pathogen that haunts dairy barns and inevitably contaminates milk supplies. E. coli O157:H7 is commonly found in cow feces, which can contaminate milking surfaces in microscopic fashion. In addition, some cows also pass the bacteria through their udders.

As the conventional dairy industry learned long ago, pasteurization is needed to wipe out the bacteria and make milk wholesome. If the kill step is avoided, consumers are playing roulette with each glass of raw milk they consume. The Wisconsin raw milk bill sought to legalize the sale of raw milk on regulated dairy farms and under frequest testing for pathogens.

Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeria are other pathogens that crop up in raw milk, causing outbreaks. E. coli O157:H7 is dreaded because infections develop into life-threatening  hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in five to 15 percent of cases.

Young children are the most susceptible, but HUS syndrome can happen in a person of any age, healthy or not. Symptoms of E.coli O157:H7 infection  include abdominal cramping followed by diarrhea that progressively worsens and is often bloody. HUS usually strikes at about the time the person starts to recover from the initial symptoms.

The organisms emit a powerful toxin, known as Shiga toxin, which attacks the red blood cells and can lead to hemorrhaging, brain damage, spinal cord injury, anemia heart problems and destruction of vital organs. E. coli also is the leading cause of kidney failure in children worldwide.

Doyle’s veto of the raw milk bill wouldn’t have happened without the urging of the medical and food safety community, which includes law firm Pritzker Olsen.

Here’s a partial lineup of health groups that lobbied the governor to kill the raw milk initiative: The Wisconsin Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Wisconsin Public Health Association, the Wisconsin Association of Local Health Departments and Boards, the Wisconsin Academy of Family Physicians, the Wisconsin Medical Society, Marshfield Clinic, Gundersen Lutheran and the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association.

The news comes two weeks after the beef supplier, National Steak and Poultry, and federal officials announced the recall. Since then, 21 cases of E. coli in 16 states have been linked to this recall, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nine of these cases required hospitalization and at least one patient contracted life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). States with confirmed cases include: California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Washington.

Applebee’s operates about 2,000 locations nationwide; Olive Garden has 695.

“There are thousands of restaurants in question—how many more people will get sick before we see a full and detailed list of restaurants where this beef was distributed?” said food safety attorney Fred Pritzker. “Two weeks is simply too long to wait for this news.”

“As a customer of NSP (National Steak and Poultry) we took immediate action when learning of this recall,” Applebee’s spokeswoman Nancy Mays told Nation’s Restaurant News. Furthermore, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) “does not agree that publicly identifying food service establishments would provide consumers greater protection from the risks associated with tainted meat or poultry.”

It is Pritzker’s opinion that these policies and procedures aren’t enough.

“No matter how many future illnesses might be prevented by removing tainted meat from restaurant menus after cases have been reported, that does nothing for the people who actually got sick,” Pritzker said. “Restaurant chains and food safety officials need to understand that diners have a right to know where and how they became sick.”

Map image from CDC.

Faye and her husband, John, live in the small town of Moultrie, Georgia. They often ate at a local restaurant, the Barbeque Pit. Unbeknownst to them, the Barbeque Pit served beef products produced by Nebraska Beef, Ltd. The beef was adulterated with E. coli O157:H7. On the day Faye was about to begin her retirement, she developed symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 poisoning. Her illness nearly killed her.

After months of hospitalization and ongoing rehabilitation, Faye is still recovering. She’s been left with life-long residuals that profoundly affect virtually every aspect of her life.

In the year since Faye was sickened, thousands of other Americans have become victims of foodborne illness. Many, like her, owe their illnesses to companies that repeatedly violate food safety regulations or ignore them altogether.

Nebraska Beef, the producer of the product that sickened Faye Bryant, has been implicated in previous E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks.

As a result of these outbreaks and others, it appears there will finally be some long overdue changes to our food safety laws. As needed as they are, all the laws and regulations will not prevent greedy or incompetent companies (or both) from selling adulterated food. Sadly, the only thing available to foodborne illness survivors that really causes companies to change (or go out of business) is forcing them to pay for the harms and losses they cause people like Faye Bryant.

This is one anniversary that people like Faye Bryant will not be celebrating.

After being contacted by John Bryant, Faye’s husband, attorney Fred Pritzker immediately flew to Georgia to meet with the family.  He spent two days in the intensive care unit with the family as Faye fought for her life.  Fred came back from that experience deeply saddened and with information about Faye and her family that has helped him build an excellent case.

We have the resources to take the legal steps necessary to represent E. coli victims in complex litigation.  We do not get paid unless we recover for the family via a settlement or jury verdict.

To contact Pritzker Olsen Attorneys:

• Call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or
  
• Submit our free consultation form.
  

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating this outbreak and has not yet determined its source.

Dr. Dora Anne Mills, the director of Maine’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wrote a public health alert late last week reminding school-based health centers, local health departments and physicians in the state to be on the lookout for E. coli O157:H7 in patients with diarrheal illness. Symptoms of E. coli infection include diarrhea (often bloody), severe stomach cramping and sometimes nausea or vomiting.

The four matching E. coli cases found in Maine were among seven total E. coli O157:H7 illnesses confirmed to have started in the state between April 17 and May 17. All the cases were in Cumberland or York counties.

National food poisoning and food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys is monitoring the outbreak in Maine and tracking whether it could be part of a larger emerging pattern of E. coli O157:H7 infections.

The firm is involved in practically every major outbreak of foodborne illness and has collected tens of millions of dollars over the years for victims of E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria and other pathogens in food.

Pritzker Olsen is one of the few law firms in the country that is extensively involved in foodborne illness litigation. The firm, led by founder and President Fred Pritzker, also has criticized current food safety laws, saying they don’t go far enough to prevent pathogens from contaminating our food in the first place.

If you or someone you know has injuries, questions or information about the Maine E. coli outbreak, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or submit our free consultation form.

There has been a lot of concern that the use of antibiotics to treat E. coli infections can cause an increased risk for hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and kidney problems. A 2000 study by Wong et. al. (The risk of hemolytic uremic syndrome after antibiotic treatment of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections) reported that there did appear to be an increased risk of developing hemolytic uremic syndrome if treated with antibiotics. A more recent study that compiled research on hemolytic uremic syndrome and E. coli O157:H7 antibiotic treatment by Safdar et. al. (Risk of hemolytic uremic syndromoe after antibiotic treatment of Escherichia coli O157:H7 enteritis: a meta-analysis) found that there was in fact on apparent statistical increase of HUS infections when antibiotics were used for E. coli O157:H7. You should consult with your doctor regarding E. coli treatment and the use of antiboitics.

For information on the treatment of hemolytic uremic syndrome see Treatment of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome.

Pritzker | Ruohonen has a national practice and represents E. coli victims throughout the United States. To contact the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the online contact form.