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.

The young victim developed a life-threatening complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS. HUS is the leading cause of kidney failure in U.S. children and it can also cause hemorrhagic colitis, heart problems, strokes, brain damage and central nervous system infection. He spent 11 days in the hospital.

The boy’s family has retained national food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker to represent them. Pritzker also represents victims of an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak at the National Western Stock Show in Denver and is a leading expert and practitioner of litigation involving foodborne illness and E. coli O157:H7.

Preliminary tests found E. coli O157:H7 in Llama feces at the petting zoo. The sample matched the genetic fingerprint of E. coli in the boy. At least one other recent visitor to the petting zoo and apple orchard may have contracted the disease, but those reports are unconfirmed.

If you or a loved one has become sick after visiting a Minnesota petting zoo, contact a physician immediately. To protect your legal rights, call Pritzker Olsen for a free case consultation by calling 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). If you prefer to contact the firm online, complete our contact and information form.

The Minnesota Department of Health in the past has reminded people of microbiological dangers at petting zoos and animal fairs. All animals can carry germs and pass infections to people. Animals of particular concern regarding transmission of intestinal disease are calves, lambs, goat kids, chicks, ducklings, reptiles and amphibians. Any ill animal also is a threat. Groups at high risk for infection include children under five, adults older than 60, pregnant women, cancer patients and others with immune systems that are weakened or not fully developed.

E. coli O157:H7 is one of the most common and most dangerous kinds of intestinal disease agents associated with animal contact at petting zoos. Pritzker said it is a well-known and preventable danger. In 2005, the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians issued a document entitled “Compendium of Measures to Prevent Disease Associated with Animals in Public Setting.”  It was endorsed by a number of organizations including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The document was updated in 2009 and includes facility design standards to minimize infection risks — including recommendations on adequate hand-washing stations.

“Des the frequency and severity of these kinds of cases, it does not appear the operator of this facility took the necessary precautions to prevent this child’s severe injuries,” Pritzker said. “This is all the more tragic because the place catered to children and kids are particularly vulnerable to E .coli O157:H7 and the horrible syndrome that frequently develops from it, HUS.”

In petting zoo outbreaks, the primary mode of transmission is from feces of an animal to the mouth of the person by unconscious hand-to-mouth contact. Because animal fur, skin, and saliva can become contaminated with fecal germs, people can become infected when they pet, touch, or are licked by animals. Persons can also be exposed through contact with an animal’s living area, its bedding, fence rails or objects such as food and water dishes. Small children who touch animals or their space are particularly vulnerable because they often put their hands in their mouth.

In general, the golden rule of prevention at petting zoos and animal fairs is to wash hands often and thoroughly with soap and water after contact with any animal, animal product or living area. Other tips include:

• Supervise children under five when they are with animals.
• Don’t drink, eat, smoke or allow children to carry toys or use pacifiers, sippy cups or baby bottles.
• Don’t clean animal cages, food dishes, or water dishes in food preparation areas.
• People in high risk groups should avoid contact with the animals.

But late today, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment warned consumers not to eat Nestle Toll House Cookie Dough because of possible E. coli contamination. Colorado officials said 66 cases of E. coli O157:H7 in 28 states have been matched through molecular subtyping. The cases have been associated with Toll House Cookie Dough through epidemiological study, not direct evidence.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorney is accepting clients in this outbreak from all states, including Colorado and Minnesota.  The Minnesota Department of  Health is believed to be part of the multi-state investigation and more information will be forthcoming. In Colorado, there have been five confirmed illnesses, including two people hospitalized and one with severe complications.

E. coli 0157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can lead to severe complications, including Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), which often involves renal failure. Symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 infection include diarrhea (often bloody), severe stomach cramps and nausea.

Pritzker Olsen is a premier food safety law firm involved in practically every major outbreak of foodborne illness. The firm has collected tens of millions of dollars for victims of food safety. Currently the firm’s clients include the families of  three women who died from Salmonella infection from contaminated peanut butter products.

If you believe you or a loved one has contracted E. coli O157:H7 from eating Nestle Toll House Cookie Dough, E. coli lawyers at the firm are ready to assist you. There is no charge for consulting with our firm. If we agree to represent you, we are paid a percentage of money we collect for you. If there is no recovery, you owe us nothing. Please contact us toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or complete one of our online forms for a free consultation.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys has examined the report and teased out relevant E. coli O157:H7 facts. If you need to contact an E. coli lawyer at the firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free), or contact us online by completing a free case consultation form.

Some facts from the report:

• There were 11 multi-state outbreaks of foodborne illness in 2006. Multi-state is defined as genetically matched strains of illness confirmed in more than one state. Ten of these outbreaks were attributed to bacteria. Of those, four were linked to E. coli O157:H7. One of the multi-state E. coli outbreaks sickened 395 people who ate contaminated leafy green vegetables. Another 44 people got sick in a multi-state E. coli outbreak by eating tainted beef. No other bacteria was involved in more than four multi-state outbreaks. The non-bacterial illness outbreak was attributed to floor sealant transmitted by baked goods.
• A total of 1,270 identifiable food poisoning outbreaks were tracked in 2006, sickening 27,634 people and killing 11. Of the deaths, six were linked to E. coli O157:H7.
• Spinach that was contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 sickened 238 people, making it one of biggest outbreaks of the year. In the spinach outbreak, 31 persons developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, and five died, including a child. The contaminated spinach was traced back to a single farm, where the outbreak strain was isolated from nearby cattle feces and feral swine feces.
• Two E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks during 2006 were linked to raw, unpasteurized milk.

This week, ministers on a British government veterinary committee were briefed about the finding on a dairy farm with 40 cows and 20 calves. Nineteen of the calves and three of the cows were found to have a “superbug” version of E. coli 026 that survived exposure to common antibiotics.

The Lancashire-based Farmers Guardian magazine quoted officials from The Soil Association, a lobby for organic farming, who said heavy use of antibiotics in farms is prompting E. coli bacteria to start mutating to ensure their own survival.

The dairy farm where the bacteria was found doesn’t pose an immediate public health risk, but officials have instructed the family on how to avoid getting infected.

The Soil Association called on the British government to devise specific recommendations to limit the use of antibiotics on farms.

Shelley Walker, spokeswoman for the Tennessee Department of Health in Nashville, told the Elk Valley Times newspaper that more than 180 people have been interviewed as part of an ongoing, “intensive investiation” into the situation.

Walker did not provide information about the two people sickened by the virulent strain of E. coli. Infected persons can develop a complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome, which is potentially fatal for children, the elderly and others who have weakened immune systems.

Our law firm is currently representing E. coli victims who developed HUS. To contact our law firm, please call 1-888-377-8900 or submit our online consultation form.

The Canadian cases are located in a close-knit geographical area around the towns of Halton, Niagara and Waterloo. Dr. Bob Nosal, medical officer of health for Halton, told The Hamilton Spectator newspaper on Monday that five U.S. cases have been identified as having the same genetic code.

“In Ontario, the cases are quite close geographically,” Nosal said. “So when you get something that rare showing up in the U.S., you really wonder — is it possibly linked?”

Among the agencies studing the connection are the Ontario Ministry of Health, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

In the Ontario outbreak, officials are still to determine the cause. More than 90 additional cases of illness are under investigation as part of the probe. Earlier this week, Dr. Robin Williams, Niagara’s chief medical officer of health, said tainted lettuce could be the source.

In Halton, four confirmed cases of the potentially deadly pathogen, are believed to be linked to the same family restaurant in Burlington, officials have said. The restaurant was shut down, but reopened this week after complying with health department orders.

Jefferson County Department of Health and Environment (JCDHE) in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is investigating the cluster of cases to see if the infections may be linked to a common source or exposure. The eight children are 4-12 years of age and they contracted E. coli from July through October.

Gayle Miller, an epidemiologist with JCDHE told the Denver Post that the investigation is comprehensive. “We don’t have a smoking gun. We don’t know yet what the cause is.”

The newspaper said possible sources of exposure being looked at by health officials include deer and elk droppings, as well as common behaviors, activiites, foods and drinks.

All of the earliest affected children have fully recovered without complications. Two children who became ill in mid- to late-October required hospitalization in a Denver area hospital after developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can lead to kidney failure. The grandmother of an 11-year-old girl hospitalized with HUS said the complication has affected the child’s kidneys, but that she’s improving, the Post reported.

The 29 cases compare to the five-year average of 18.4 confirmed E. coli cases for the same period, the health department said. Twenty-two have involved children aged 12 and younger and several of those children have been hospitalized.

Officials confirmed that only a cluster of the recent infections — found in the eastern part of the state and all reported in the past three weeks — share some common exposures. They say several things associated with the cluster increased the risk of contact with E. coli O157:H7 bacteria, “such as drinking unpasteurized apple cider, eating fresh, unwashed apples and eating ground beef.”

Two of the children sickened by the pathogen in the most recent cluster of cases remain at University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. Parents for the 7-year-old girl and the 5-year-old boy told the Gate City Daily newspaper in Keokuk, Iowa, that the kids separately visited a business in Lee County Iowa, where they drank unpasteurized apple cider from a vendor who was demonstrating how to press apples. One child consumed the cider on Oct. 4, the other on Oct. 5, but health officials have said DNA fingerprints of their illnesses do not match.

Both children have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, and have been treated with blood transfusions, kidney dialysis and other procedures during their long hospital stays.

Our law firm is currently representing E. coli victims who developed HUS. To contact our law firm, please call 1-888-377-8900 or submit our online consultation form.