A recent study by 11 epidemiologists examined rates of death, by age group, in 3,464 people who were sickened by hamburger disease between 2000-2006. The scientific review looked at deaths associated with E. coli O157:H7 infection and a complication of E. coli known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS is a life-threatening condition and the biggest cause of kidney failure in children throughout the world.

The researchers, led by Dr. L Hannah Gould of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found that 218 E. coli victims, or 6.3 percent of the total, developed HUS. In all E. coli HUS cases, death occurred 4.6 percent of the time.

The research, published in the October 2009 , is more proof  that the most vulnerable populations to hamburger E. coli are children under 5  and adults older than 60. In hamburger E. coli outbreaks, the highest proportion of HUS cases occur in young children — 15.3 percent of total cases.

Three percent of the child HUS victims died whereas .3 percent of children died from E. coli without developing  HUS syndrome. HUS is best known for attacking the kidneys, but the disease also can result in hemorrhaging, strokes, anemia and heart problems. As a producer of poisonous Shiga toxin, E. coli O157:H7 also has the capacity to invade the blood brain barrier and cause damage to the central nervous system.

E. coli O157:H7 patients older than 60 had the highest death rate  in the study. With or without E. coli HUS, 12 of 390 elderly victims of hamburger disease died. In elderly patients who developed HUS, five of 15, or 33 percent, did not survive. Adults poisoned in hamburger E. coli outbreaks also risk developing thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), a condition aligned with HUS.

E. coli O157:H7 is banned by the federal government from hamburger. Obviously, that measure hasn’t stopped hamburger E. coli outbreaks.

Because E. coli O157:H7 in hamburger is classified as an adulterant, you and your family have special legal rights to press for recoveries against the meatpacker and other companies in the supply chain who sold the adulterated product.

Food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen is currently representing hamburger E. coli victims and is a national leader in foodborne illness litigation. As one of the few firms in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness, we have recovered tens of millions of dollars for the families who have suffered injury and loss.

To contact an E. coli lawyer for a free case consultation, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete one of our online contact forms . You owe us nothing until we win your case.

According to a Nestle news release:

Nestlé USA’s Baking Division was informed today by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that it has found and confirmed evidence of E. coli 0157:H7 in a retained production sample of 16.5 oz. Nestlé Toll House refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough bar. The product has a day code of 9041 and a “Best before 10 JUN 2009” notation.

Our law firm has received a number of contacts from people who became ill after consuming raw cookie dough.  Many of these people have leftover cookie dough in their refrigerators, and it is possible that some of the leftover cookie dough will test positive for the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7.

We are providing information on testing leftover Nestle Toll House cookie dough for E. coli.

IF YOU THINK YOU ARE PART OF THIS OUTBREAK:
PLEASE CONTACT OUR LAW FIRM FOR INFORMATION ON TESTING LEFTOVER NESTLE TOLL HOUSE COOKIE DOUGH FOR E. COLI.

In response to this multi-state E. coli outbreak, JBS Swift Beef Company, a Greeley, Colorado establishment, has recalled approximately 380,000 pounds of beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. This June 28, 2009 JBS Swift Beef recall is an expansion of a June 24 recall of 41,280 pounds of JBS Swift beef products that were distributed in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin.

According to the June 28 recall announcement, the recalled JBS Swift Beef Company products were distributed nationwide and were probably further processed.  This means that anyone sickened by this outbreak may have a claim against JBS Swift Beef Company and other parties for the following:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Cost of care
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Disability
• Loss of quality of life
• Other damages

If you or a loved one is part of this JBS Swift Beef E. coli outbreak, your state department may have advised you to contact an E. coli lawyer. Our law firm has a national reputation in the area of E. coli litigation and is currently representing E. coli victims and their families. We are also representing E. coli victims who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).  Please contact our lawyers for a free consultation about E. coli victim compensation.  We do not get paid unless you win.

Anyone experiencing bloody diarrhea should suspect an E. coli infection and seek medical attention immediately. You should request an E. coli O157:H7 test. This is critical for preserving your legal rights. Contact our lawyers if you have any questions.

We represent E. coli victims and their families nationwide.

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The following is information we share with those who call:

1) The only practical way to diagnose E. coli O157:H7 is by stool sample. Without a stool sample confirming the presence of E. coli O157:H7, it is difficult to prove you are part of this outbreak. Therefore, if you believe you have symptoms related to E. coli O157:H7, you need to receive medical attention and get a stool test.

2) You need to get a stool test as soon as possible after your symptoms commence. If you wait too long, the E. coli O157:H7 bacteria may be shed from your body and the test will be negative even though you had an E. coli O157:H7 infection. Also, if you are prescribed antibiotics, the medication may kill off the E. coli O157:H7. In which case, your test will be negative.

3) This is important: Non-specific supportive therapy, including hydration, is important. Antibiotics should not be used to treat this infection. There is no evidence that treatment with antibiotics is helpful, and taking antibiotics may increase the risk of HUS. Antidiarrheal agents like Imodium® may also increase that risk. Thus, if you receive antibiotics, it may cause you harm and make it impossible to detect the E. coli O157:H7.

4) If you have left over food that you suspect made you sick, do not throw it out or return it for a refund. Lab testing of the product may confirm the presence of E. coli O157:H7. Thus, if your stool is not tested or if the test is negative, it still may be possible to link your symptoms to the outbreak if the product tests positive for E. coli O157:H7. Therefore, seal the unused food in a plastic bag, mark the bag so it is not used or consumed accidentally, and continue to store it in your refrigerator until it is tested.

CONTACT OUR LAWYERS ABOUT E. COLI VICTIM COMPENSATION >>

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.

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.

On October 25, the CFIA provided FSIS with PFGE patterns, or DNA fingerprints, from tests of beef trim from a Canadian firm, Ranchers Beef, Ltd., Canadian establishment number 630. This firm provided trim to the Topps Meat Company. While the firm, which had been located in Balzac, Alberta, ceased operations on August 15, 2007, some product remained in storage and was collected and tested by CFIA as part of the joint investigation of the Topps recall and as part of CFIA’s own investigation into 45 illnesses in Canada from E. coli O157:H7.

. . . PulseNet provided verification to FSIS that this PFGE pattern matched those from patients who were ill and from positive tests conducted by the New York Department of Health on product (both intact packages and open packages from patients’ homes) that was later recalled by the Topps Meat Company on September 29. PulseNet is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) searchable database of all PFGE patterns from patients and food products in the United States.

[E. coli lawyer: Please note that the positive tests on the products (Topps hamburgers) were found in patients' homes. Potentially-contaminated food products should not be thrown out or returned until it is clear that no one has been sickened by the product. In the case of a food product that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the food would have to be retained for at least 10 days after last consumed. For safety reasons, it is critical that any potentially-contaminated food product be labeled "DO NOT EAT" and be stored in a safe location.]

As of October 26, CDC reported 40 illnesses under investigation in 8 states, with 21 known hospitalizations. The latest onset of illness is September 24, 2007. This summer was the first time this rare PFGE pattern had been seen in North America.

[E. coli lawyer: If you have been diagnosed with E. coli, an E. coli lawyer at Pritzker | Ruononen can be reached toll-free at 1-888-377-8900. Alternatively, please submit the firm's online consultation form for review by an E. coli lawyer at Pritzker | Ruohonen.]

As the result of the Topps Meat Company recall investigation, FSIS had delisted Ranchers Beef, Ltd., Canadian establishment number 630, on October 20, 2007. No product from that firm has been eligible to come into the U.S. since that date.