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.

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.

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.

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 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

The Pennsylvania hospital’s spokesman told the Record Herald newspaper in Waynesboro that there have been no new cases reported at Hershey in the last week. The medical center has treated eight patients in the last month for HUS. Five of them had ties to Cowans Gap, the spokesman said. So far, 14 cases of E. coli O157:H7 — 11 from Pennsylvania and three from Maryland — have been reported. All of them swam in the 42-acre lake at Cowans Gap between July 12 and July 31 and became ill a short time later. Of the Pennsylvania cases, six people are from Franklin County, four from Lancaster County and one from Huntingdon County, according to the newspaper. The Pennsylvania Department of Health is investigating and national E. coli lawyers at Pritzker Olsen Attorneys are monitoring the investigation on behalf of victims.

The lake closed August 9 due to the outbreak and has now reopened to boating and fishing. A different strain of E. coli was found in one of two wells at the park last week and a boil water notice was put in place Wednesday. The notice was lifted Sunday morning after “a string of good test results.”

HUS E. coli is a life-threatening condition in which the body’s red blood cells are fragmented by Shiga toxin, causing blocked circulation in the kidneys and elsewhere or bleeding in the brain. It predominantly causes kidney failure and most often affects children under 5, but people of all ages — including healthy young adults — can contract the disease and face death or dire illness, including paralysis or other central nervous system disorders. HUS can cause convulsions, strokes, severe anemia, vascular injury, heart problems and other serious health problems — both acute and long-term. Once an infection from a type of E. coli that emits a Shiga toxin has been established, no therapeutic interventions are available to lessen the risk of HUS from developing.

HUS symptoms 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. HUS signs usually begin as the initial diarrhea from E. coli infection is improving.

Our HUS lawyers took note this week when the Food and Drug Adminstration warned four companies that they must stop claiming that over-the-counter hand sanitizers and antiseptic gels will prevent dangerous bacterial infections. The statements are unproven, FDA said, and the letters mean the companies have 15 days to correct the claims or have the products seized.

One company claims that its hand sanitizing lotion prevents infection from E. coli and the H1N1 flu virus, while another claims its “patented formulation of essential plant oils” kills Salmonella. These claims are unproven and illegal, the FDA said.

“FDA has not approved any products claiming to prevent infection from MRSA, E. coli, Salmonella, or H1N1 flu, which a consumer can just walk into a store and buy,” said Deborah Autor, compliance director at FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

The FDA warnings concern the following products:

• Staphaseptic First Aid Antiseptic/Pain Relieving Gel, by Tec Laboratories.
• Safe4Hours Hand Sanitizing Lotion and Safe4Hours First Aid Antiseptic Skin Protectant, by JD Nelson and Associates.
• Dr. Tichenor’s Antiseptic Gel, by Dr. G.H. Tichenor Antiseptic Co.
• Clean Well All-Natural Hand Sanitizer, Clean Well All-Natural Hand Sanitizing Wipes, and Clean Well All-Natural Antibacterial Foaming Hand Soap, by Oh So Clean Inc., also known as CleanWell Company.

All three of those who became ill from E. coli O157:H7 were hospitalized, and one person developed life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

HUS attacks a person’s red blood cells and can lead to kidney failure, heart problems, anemia, brain injury, paralysis, stroke and other serious health consequences. A state health department spokesman said the beach remained closed Friday as a precaution but could reopen this weekend.

The people became ill July 12 and July 13. All three went swimming at the beach sometime from July 8-11.

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 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.