E. coli O157:H7 Transmits Easily from Infected Restaurant Workers to Unsuspecting Customers
E. coli O157:H7 is an organism easily transmitted from person to person and the best prevention against foodborne illness is to wash hands before preparing food and avoid handling food when ill. The latest example of what can happen when an infected person goes to work at a restaurant is on display in Houghton, Michigan, where the Western Upper Penninsula Health Department continues to investigate an outbreak linked to The Ambassador Restaurant.
Dr. Terry Frankovich, the agency’s medical director, said the likely source of the Christmas-time outbreak was an ill food-handler. Five people initially were confirmed as case patients, including a customer from Wisconsin. Later, two more diners were identified as infected by the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7. Local authorities are asking any Ambassador customers who came down with bloody diarrhea after eating at the restaurant in late December or early January to come forward by reaching an attorney or calling the health department directly at 906-482-7382.
According to health department records reviewed by national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys, The Ambassador did fairly well in six inspections conducted between January 20, 2010 and August 1, 2011. One of the inspections found food storage temperatures out of compliance, but the problem was rectified by the time inspectors did a follow-up, the records show.
An E. coli lawyer from Pritzker Olsen is continuing to investigate the outbreak and can provide any concerned family or individual a free case consultation at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or leave your contact information and the attorney will call you.
In some people, especially young children, the elderly, or those who are immunocompromised, a more severe illness, even death, can result from E. coli O157:H7. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)
occurs in about 8 percent of infections. Persons with this illness have kidney failure and may require dialysis and transfusions. In The Ambassador E. coli outbreak, four people were hospitalized.
A good E. coli lawyer will seek recoveries that not only address medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and other harms, but also will compensate a victims for harms that will continue into the future. Studies have shown that even people with uncomplicated E. coli illness can suffer vascular injuries and related problems that can last throughout a person’s life. Food poisoning lawsuits and negotiations seek to hold suppliers and service providers accountable for introducing dangerous pathogens into the food supply.
Houghton’s Ambassador Restaurant Linked to Michigan Upper Peninsula E. coli Outbreak
Four people were hospitalized with severe food poisoning infections in an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 that health officials have linked to an ill food-handler at a restaurant in Houghton, Michigan. At least three others also were sickened and authorities suspect there could be more people who ate at The Ambassador and became ill over the Christmas holiday.
That’s when the cluster of E. coli infections was noticed and investigated. The results of the probe will be important to any E. coli lawsuit filed on behalf of victims. Free case consultations are available at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., one of the very few legal groups in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness. Leave your contact information for an attorney or call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). Our firm has collected millions for victims of E. coli restaurant outbreaks and has represented consumers in previous Michigan outbreaks of foodborne illness.
The Ambassador’s outbreak was announced by Dr. Terry Frankovich, an area medical director. The public health investigation is being conducted by the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department, she said, and officials suspect others could have become ill and not realized they were part of an outbreak.
The Ambassador has remained open for business and has been working in cooperation with authorities. E. coli O157:H7 is a feared pathogen that can cause life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which happens in about 8 percent of cases. HUS victims lose kidney function and often require blood transfusions. HUS also can cause stroke, heart attack, attacks on the central nervous system and severe anemia.
Studies have shown that even mild E. coli infections can carry negative health reprecussions throughout a person’s life. A good E. coli lawyer will seek claim compensation full enough to fairly cover victims for all past and future harms.
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.
Two Children with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome in Maple Rapids, MI: What Was the Source of the E. coli Infection that Caused the HUS?
Two children from the Maple Rapids area have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) after contracting E. coli infections at a day care, according to the Michigan District Health Department (MMDHD).
For those who are not familiar with HUS, it is a life-threatening illness that often causes kidney failure, pancreatitis and extremely high blood pressure. These, in turn, cause additional health problems, including stroke, blindness and heart attacks. These children are fighting for their lives.
The source of this outbreak needs to be found to prevent further illness and to give the parents of these HUS victims the information they need to hold those responsible accountable. Our experience is that these daycare-associated outbreaks are generally caused by contaminated food, but there have been cases where contaminated water or a trip to a petting zoo have been the source of the outbreak.
In July, an outbreak of E. coli O157 in Michigan was linked to eating ground beef processed and distributed by McNees Meats and Wholesale LLC, a North Branch, Michigan, establishment. A total of five confirmed Shiga-toxin producing E. coli cases and four probable cases were reported in Lapeer, Genesee, Isabella, and Sanilac counties.
Last year, a Michigan E. coli outbreak was linked to contaminated lettuce. E. coli bacteria can colonize within the leaf, making it impossible to wash off.
When our law firm takes a day care E. coli HUS case, we immediately begin an independent investigation into the outbreak. We have access to some of the countries best epidemiologists and food safety experts to assist us with the investigation. We know parents do not have the financial resources to pay for this up front, so we are not paid unless the family wins money from those responsible for the illness.
Attorney Fred Pritzker and his team of E. coli lawyers represent E. coli victims throughout the United States. They have won money for E. coli victims in Michigan. Cities near Maple Rapids, MI, include Grand Rapids, Lansing, Mt. Pleasant, Flint and Saginaw.
Hamburger E. coli Outbreaks in Michigan and Ohio
Hamburger E. coli outbreaks in Michigan and Ohio have occurred simultaneously, reminding all consumers and health professionals of a persistent food safety hazard in the United States: Shiga-toxin producing strains of E. coli in ground beef that survive the cooking process.
E. coli O157:H7 in particular is banned by the federal government from ground beef because of its insidious threat to public health. It’s invevitable that other strains will be outlawed, but Congress has been slow to catch up to the science that demonstrates other strains are just as dangerous as O157:H7. The distinction is important because it holds meatpackers to a higher safety standard with penalties to match — including more certain sanctions from hamburger E. coli lawsuits.
Here’s a brief rundown so far of the two current hamburger E. coli outbreaks in Michigan and Ohio:
In Cincinnati, J.B. Meats is recalling approximately 72,800 pounds of ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The company was notified on Aug. 12, 2011 of an investigation of two E. coli O157:H7 illnesses that may be linked to J.B. ground beef. The link is tentative and recall is precautionary — but it covers a whole year of production. Restaurants in the Cincinnati area have been users of the meat.
The recalled J.B. Meats products are 5 and 10 pound clear packages of ground beef and ground beef
patties in various size packages that were processed on and can be identified by the dates August
18, 2010 through August 18, 2011. Each clear plastic bag and label bare the establishment number “EST. 1188” within the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s mark of inspection.
In North Branch, Michigan, our attorneys are continuing their investigation of an E. coli O157:NM outbreak that has been linked to the consumption of ground beef from McNees Meats and Wholesale LLC. At least nine people have been sickened. Known case patients range in age from 15 to 88 and live in Michigan counties of Lapeer, Genesee, Isabella, and Sanilac. All nine victims reported consuming ground beef either at local restaurants supplied by McNees or by purchasing beef directly from the company’s retail counter. McNees has recalled 2,200 pounds of beef believed to be tainted by E.coli O157:NM.
National food saftey law firm PritzkerOlsen is one of the very few legal groups in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and we have recovered tens of millions of dollars for E. coli victims in every corner of the U.S. Ground beef E. coli lawsuits are complex and not all firms have the experience to properly investigate an outbreak or prepare for a trial.
For a free E. coli case consultation, contact a lawyer in our office at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or submit your contact information online.
