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.
Michigan Ground Beef E. coli Probe Continues
McNees Meats and Wholesale LLC is a meat-processing and retail establishment in North Branch, Michigan, that has been linked by USDA to an outbreak of E. coli O157:NM that is believed to be ongoing. The Michigan Departments of Community Health (MDCH) and Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) have issued a public health alert and are continuing to investigate where 2,200 pounds of potentially contaminated ground beef from McNees was distributed.
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.
Michigan E. coli 0157 Outbreak Investigated by Lawyer
A Michigan E. coli outbreak has prompted a ground beef recall, and the E. coli lawyers at Pritzker Olsen are closely following the outbreak’s development. Ground beef product from McNees Meats and Wholesale LLC has been linked to 9 cases of E. coli in Michigan, 5 confirmed and 4 probable. Six of the people sickened were hospitalized.
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 >>>
