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.

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.

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.

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.

Some restaurants purchased the ground beef and some of the nine victims of this outbreak are believed to have been sickened while dining out. The McNees recall also applies to certain packages of ground beef sold from its retail location in North Branch, Michigan.

Michigan officials have stated so far that five people are confirmed case patients in the outbreak while four others are probable case patients. Of special concern in this outbreak is that two-thirds of all people associated with it have had to be hospitalized for the seriousness of their illnesses. So far, no deaths have been reported.

The outbreak started in mid-July and patients have ranged in age from 15 to 88. Those affected live in the Michigan counties of Lapeer, Genesee, Isabella, and Sanilac.

Pritzker Olsen law firm is accepting cases from this outbreak for a possible ground beef E. coli lawsuit against McNees. Free case consultations are available at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or you may provide your contact information and an E. coli lawyer will call you.

Holding companies accountable for contamination in our food supply is an integral function of food safety in the United States. Harms caused by food poisoning — especially infections of E. coli O157 — can plague a person with long-lasting health concerns that should be monitored annually by a physician. Hospitalization, lost time at work, travel expense, pain, suffering, medical checkups and additional expenses are costs that victims should not shoulder when the cause of injury was a dangerous micro-organism spread by fecal contamination. E. coli outbreaks are preventable.

The products being recalled are 36 – 10 lb. Bags of McNees Ground Beef Bulk. Establishment number: EST. 33971. They were produced July 15 and July 21, 2011. They were sold in Armada, Lapeer and North Branch, Michigan and also at a retail establishment owned by McNees Meats and Wholesale, LLC. Those sickened reported consuming ground beef either at local restaurants supplied by McNees or purchased directly from the company.

E. coli Outbreak Investigation and Lawsuit Information

According to the FSIS:

FSIS was notified of an investigation of E. coli O157  illnesses on August 4, 2011.Working in conjunction with the Michigan Departments of Community Health (MDCH) and Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), 3 case-patients in Michigan have been identified with illness onset dates between July 18 and July 28, 2011.

The E. coli lawyers at Pritzker Olsen have recovered millions of dollars for people sickened by E. coli and other dangerous foodborne pathogens. People who think they may be sick with E. coli should visit a healthcare provider and get tested for E. coli. People who test positive for an outbreak strain of E. coli may be able to file an E. coli lawsuit and recover expenses for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and other damages.

Contact the E. coli lawyers at Pritzker Olsen for a free case evaluation >>>

Most recently it was reported that three people from Michigan who shared smoked meat products from Zillman’s butcher shop became ill with E. coli 045 infections. The health department said the investigation is continuing. So far,
wild bear and venison processed at Zillman Meat Market have tested positive for E. coli O45. This bacterium is one of the six most common non-O157 Shiga toxin–producing types of E coli that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists as pathogenic to humans. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently considering whether to regulate certain non-O157 STECs in beef products.

Law firm Pritzker Olsen has years of direct experience representing victims of  non-O157 E. coli outbreaks. An E. coli attorney for the firm is conducting his own investigation of the Zillman outbreak. Meanwhile, the firm is accepting cases. Free consultations are available by calling 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or by completing our contact form. Our law firm is one of the few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness and we have collected millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning around the country.

The source of the E. coli infections has not been found, Health Services Director Cindy Rochefort told the Huron Daily Tribune newspaper. She said that when investigators determine the source, the findings will be announced. Meanwhile the county health department is advising residents to take general safety precautions including frequent hand washing, avoidance of meat cooked to less than 155 degrees Fahrenheit, avoidance of raw milk or dairy products made from raw milk and don’t eat alfalfa sprouts if you are under 5 years old, elderly or otherwise immune-compromised, the agency advised.

The newspaper said area physicians serving Huron County, Michigan, and local health care facilities have been alerted to the outbreak and are on the lookout for E. coli symptoms.

Law firm PritzkerOlsen, P..A., is gathering information on this outbreak and would like to hear from any families affected by it. If you or a loved one believe you have been sickened by E. coli and you live around Huron County or have eaten there recently, call a physician immediately. For answers to legal questions about E. coli, call an E. coli HUS lawyer at our firm at 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.

PritzkerOlsen is a leading food poisoning law firm involved in virtually every foodborne illness outbreak in the United States. The firm has collected millions of dollars on behalf of people injured or killed as a result of adulterated food, including hemolytic uremic syndrome victims who have suffered kidney failure, heart problems, brain damage, anemia, central nervous system damage and other complications.

PritzkerOlsen currently represents HUS patients and has years of experience doing so. We understand the long-term nature of medical issues surrounding this disease and the implications of current and future pain and suffering for victims and their families.

The recalled Freshway Foods romaine lettuce products were sold under the Freshway brand and Imperial Sysco brand to food service outlets (including university campus food service), restaurants and in-store retail salad bars and delis in the following states:

Alabama, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The recalled romaine products were also sold for distribution to in-store salad bars and delis for Kroger, Giant Eagle, Ingles Markets, and Marsh stores in the states listed above. Consumers who purchased romaine from an in-store salad bars and delis at Kroger, Giant Eagle, Ingles Markets, and Marsh stores in the states previously listed should throw the product away UNLESS SOMEONE ATE SOME OF THE LETTUCE AND MAY CONTRACT OR HAS CONTRACTED AN E COLI O145 INFECTION.  If someone has been diagnosed with an E coli infection, you should contact our law firm regarding testing the leftovers for E. coli.

In some cases, a person will be diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) or thrombotic thrombocytopenic pupura (TTP), severe complications of an E. coli infection, before there can be a definitive diagnosis of E. coli.  These people will be very sick and unable to contact our law firm.  If your loved one has HUS and/or TTP, contact our law firm for Freshway Foods lawsuit information by calling 1-999-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) or submit our online form for a free consultation.  We are not paid unless you win.