Long-Term Risks of E.coli Poisoning
Every year, more than a quarter of a million Americans are sickened by Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). E. coli O157:H7 is the most common STEC strain and it is the strain at the heart of the outbreak linked to The Ambassador restaurant in Houghton, Michigan that has sickened seven people, four of whom required hospitalization.
In some cases, between 5 and 10 percent, those diagnosed with an STEC infection, develop a potentially life threatening complication called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) and require hospitalization becasue of potential kidney failure. HUS usually effects children under 10, but it can also effect adolescents and adults. HUS usually runs its course within 15 days, but it can lead to serious long-term illness including:
Kidney Failure
HUS is the leading cause of kidney failure in children. Impaired urine production during HUS can lead to long-term health consequences including chronic kidney impairment.
Neurological Damage
During the acute stage of HUS, patients can experience seizures, stroke or coma. These can cause long-lasting or permanent neurological damage.
Diabetes
During the acute phase of HUS, patients can develop diabetes, which can persist over the long term.
Gastro-intestinal problems
HUS patients are at risk of developing gall stones, irritable bowel syndrome, or experiencing a narrowing of the small intestine or colon.
If you have questions about an illness or hospitalization associated with this outbreak, contact the attorneys at PritzkerOlsen P.A. for a free consultation.
Romaine Lettuce From Salad Bars At St Louis Schnucks Stores, Minnesota and Missouri Universities Linked to 60-Person E. coli Outbreak
Romaine Lettuce is the likely source of an E. coli outbreak that sickened 60 people in 10 states, according to a report 
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The outbreak, which initially was thought to have stricken 37 salad bar customers at Schnucks grocery stores in the St. Louis area, was linked to a single lot of Romaine lettuce grown on a California farm.
The search for the source has been ongoing sine the outbreak began on October 10. Because multiple tests at various Schnucks locations never revealed the presence of E.coli, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the traceback investigation to include suppliers and distributors of the grocery chain.
Working with several state agencies, the FDA conducted traceback investigations for romaine lettuce to try to identify the source of contamination. Traceback analysis determined that a single common lot of romaine lettuce harvested from a California farm was used to supply the Schnucks grocery store chain as well as the university campus in Minnesota during the time of the illnesses. The same lot was also provided to a distributor that supplied lettuce to the university campus in Missouri, but records were not sufficient to determine if this lot was sent to this university campus.
As of November 30, 2011, 60 people had been infected with the same strain of E. coli 0157:H7. The confirmed illnesses by state are as follows: Arizona (1), Arkansas (2), Georgia (1), Illinois (9), Indiana (2), Kansas (3), Kentucky (1), Minnesota (3), Missouri (37), and Nebraska (1).
An E.coli infection can create serious illness. Most people infected with E. coli O157:H7 develop bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps 2-8 days after swallowing the organism, but some illnesses last longer and are more severe. A type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) can begin as the diarrhea is improving; this condition can occur among persons of any age but is most common in children under 5 years old and the elderly. Signs and symptoms of HUS may include fever, abdominal pain, pale skin tone, fatigue and irritability, small, unexplained bruises or bleeding from the nose and mouth, decreased urination, and swelling of the face, hands, feet, or entire body. Persons who experience these symptoms and believe they are at risk for HUS should seek emergency medical care immediately.
Anyone with legal questions about an illness or hospitalization associated with this outbreak should contact the foodborne illness attorneys at PritzkerOlsen for a free consultation.
Organic Pastures Had Other Food Safety Issues Before Raw Milk E. coli Outbreak
Organic Pastures, California’s largest producer of raw milk, halted production last week after an E.coli outbreak that sickened five children was linked to the dairy’s raw milk. Owner Mark McAfee maintains his milk is healthful and risk-free, but this is not the first time the dairy has had trouble with food safety issues.
The Fresno County Department of Health has inspected Organic Pastures 10 times over the last 15 months. Four of those were routine inspections where “significant violations” were found that required mandatory re-inspection. Some of these violations were for unsanitary conditions, such as a broken toilet, lack of hot water for hand washing in the bathroom sink, manure on barn walls and exit ramps and under barn mats, all of which were cited in a report from August 24, 2010. Other reports site the lack of a concrete pad at a docking station and beneath a mobile barn.
- On September 12, 2008, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CFDA) issued a recall for raw cream manufactured at the dairy after tests showed it was contaminated with Campylobacter.
- On September 7, 2007, the CFDA issued a recall for raw cream manufactured at the dairy after Listeria monocytogenes bacteria turned up on a routine inspection.
- On September 21, 2006, the CFDA issued a recall after four children contracted E. coli infections after consuming raw milk products from the dairy.
Campylobacter, Listeria and E. coli are all dangerous pathogens that can cause serious sometimes fatal infections. With all foodborne illnesses, children are among those most a risk for serious complications, including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) which can lead to kidney failure.
A press release on the Organic Pastures website states:
“It is a common goal of Organic Pastures and the California Department of Public Health to rapidly investigate any linkage between these cases and raw milk. Each month CDFA tests all Organic Pastures’ products for pathogens, in addition Organic Pastures uses a third party for pathogen testing multiple times per week. All these tests have been negative. It has been reported to us by the California Department of Public Health that as of today all products collected from the ill patients have been negative for E. Coli 0157:H7.”
But a review of CFDA inspections does support the claim that the dairy is inspected each month. Four of the 10 inspections during the last 15 months were mandatory re-inspections. Had they not been required, the dairy would have had six inspections during a 15 month period.
In a USA Today story, McAfee says that the state of California has no evidence that shows children drank contaminated milk and that he finds the case “highly suspicious.” But, as Steve Lyle of the CFDA countered in the story, ”milk is perishable, so the product consumed by the children was not available for testing” by the time they got sick “and that’s typically to be expected.”
Anyone who experiences abdominal cramping or bloody diarrhea after consuming raw milk products should seek immediate medical attention. Those with questions regarding an illness or hospitalization associated with this outbreak should contact the national food safety law firm PritzkerOslen P.A. for a free consultation.
Two Children Hospitalized With E.coli-HUS in Michigan
Michigan health officials are searching for the source of an E. colioutbreak that sickened three people including two children from Maple Rapids who have been hospitalized with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
HUS, a condition that develops after and E. coli infection, is characterized by damage and destruction of the red blood cells, which leads anemia, blood clots, and damage to blood vessel walls. Complications of HUS are severe and can include kidney damage, seizures, coma, stroke and damage to the central nervous system. HUS most often affects children under the age of 10.
E. coli, a bacterium normally found in the gut of animals such as cattle, sheep, pigs, and deer, is spread by the fecal-oral route, through undercooked ground beef, unpasteurized milk or beverages. Symptoms of an E. coli infection include nausea, low-grade fever, loss of appetite, vomiting, abdominal bloating, and diarrhea, which can sometimes be bloody. Health officials urge anyone in the Maple Rapids area with these symptoms to see a doctor right away.
The affects of an E. coli infection can be long lasting and expensive. The E. coli lawyers at PritzkerOlsen P.A., a national leader in food safety law, have helped families all over the country who have faced the devastating affects of E. coli and HUS. Contact them for a free consultation by clicking here or by calling TOLL FREE at 1 (888) 377-8900.
Pride & Joy Raw Milk E. coli HUS Recall in WA
An HUS raw milk E. coli outbreak has triggered the recall of raw fluid milk produced by Pride & Joy Creamery, LLC of Granger, Washington, as state health and agriculture officials investigate. E. coli HUS, or hemolytic uremic syndrome, is a life-threatening complication of E. coli infection that causes kidney failure and can lead to other severe illness. Children under 5 years of age and older adults are most susceptible.
Pride & Joy Creamery unpasteurized milk under recall was sold at the farm in Granger and distributed through nine retail outlets (see below) in King, Pierce, Snohomish and Skagit counties, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) said in a news release. The raw milk recall was initiated after sampling discovered Escherichia Coli.
WSDA and other public health officials are exploring the possibility that there has been human illness linked to this milk.
A good raw milk HUS lawyer can help families recover from the hospitalization of a loved one by holding the purveyor accountable for selling food contaminated with pathogenic bacteria. E. coli is a well-known risk in the production and sale of raw milk and litigation is an appropriate response when individuals are sickened by it. Food poisoning attorneys at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., are nationally known with years of experience in raw milk HUS lawsuits. They provide free case consultations at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or will respond to contact information you provide.
E. coli symptoms include bloody diarrhea and stomach cramps. Symptoms generally appear three to four days after exposure, but can take as long as nine days to appear. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should contact a health care provider. The infection sometimes causes hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious disease in which red blood cells are fragmented and the kidneys fail. Infants, children, pregnant women, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems are especially at risk. Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is similar to HUS and also can result from E. coli infection.
Pride & Joy raw milk recall
Pride & Joy Raw Cow’s Milk bearing expiration dates of 9/30/2011 and 9/31/11 has been recalled. The milk is sold only in gallon, half gallon and quart containers. Recalled raw milk was sold from the on-farm store at 2145 Liberty Road in Granger, WA and from the following locations:
- Sno-isle
2804 Grand Avenue
Everett, WA 98201 - Truhealth
18001 Bothell-Everett
Suite 109
Bothell, WA 98012 - Marlenes Market
2951 S. 38th ST.
Tacoma, WA 98409 - Marlenes Market
2565 s. Gateway Center Place
Federal Way, WA 98003 - Skagit Valley Food
202 S. 1st Street
Mt. Vernon, WA 98273 - Manna Mills
21705 66th Ave, West
Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043 - Madison Market
1600 Madison
Seattle, WA 98122 - Nature’s Market
26011 104th Ave, SE
Kent, WA 98030 - Sunshine Corner Nutrition
15220 SE 272th, Suite F
Kent, WA 98042
