Tennessee E. coli Investigation Continues as More Cases are Confirmed
Tennessee is in the midst of what appears to be at least two E. coli outbreaks, and health officials have yet to determine the sources. It is “outbreaks” because health officials have reported that some of the cases of E. coli are not related to each other. The number of E. coli victims continues to grow with two more cases bringing the total to 13 sickened in Northeast Tennessee.
Two Virginia cases may also be connected to one of the Tennessee outbreaks. A 2-year-old girl and her 5-year-old brother from Dryden, Virginia contracted E. coli infections that developed into hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), an often fatal illness sometimes referred to as E. coli kidney failure. In addition to kidney failure, HUS can cause brain damage, heart attack, stroke, blindness, severe hypertension and other serious health problems. The girl died, and her brother is out of the hospital.
E. coli is dangerous because it produces Shiga toxins, which cause a condition known as hemorrhagic colitis, the source of the bloody diarrhea associated with E. coli O157:H7 infections. Shiga toxin is also responsible for HUS.
These E. coli outbreaks come with a cost. One family has lost a daughter and has medical expenses and other financial losses related to their son’s illness. Many other families also have medical expenses and other losses. In addition, the children and adults who were sickened suffered severe pain. Those responsible should be held accountable. We have handled many cases where a “smoking gun” was never found. The epidemiological and microbiological evidence needs to be examined to see if there is sufficient evidence to file a lawsuit.
Tennessee Joins Lettuce E. coli O145 Outbreak
Health officials in Tennessee have confirmed one case of E. coli O145 as part of the Freshway Foods lettuce E. coli outbreak previously limited to Michigan, Ohio and New York.
According to the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the total number of confirmed cases in the romaine lettuce E. coli outbreak has grown from 19 to 23. Another seven illnesses are considered probable.
Health officials say multiple lines of evidence support the finding that contaminated romaine harvested in Yuma, Arizona, and distributed by Ohio-based Freshway Foods caused the outbreak. Young people dominate the group of known victims, including students from Columbus, Ohio; Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Amherst, New York, home of Daemen College.
The best evidence so far is a bag of previously unopened romaine that was distributed by Freshway to an “institution” in one of the outbreak states. The lettuce tested positive for the outbreak strain of E. coli O145, which emits the same potentially deadly Shiga toxin as E. coli O157:H7, the most common STEC.
Recently, the investigation into the Freshway Foods lettuce E. coli outbreak was bolstered by a case-control study done in Michigan that found a significant association between outbreak victims and consumption of romaine lettuce.
Among the confirmed and probable cases with reported dates available, illnesses began between April 10, 2010, and April 26. Infected individuals range in age from 13 years old to 31 years old and the median age is 19 years. Sixty-six percent of patients are male.
Among the 30 patients with available information, 12, (40 percent) were hospitalized. Three patients have developed a type of kidney failure known as hemolytic-uremic syndrome, or HUS. No deaths have been reported.
Food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen has been in close contact with victims of this outbreak and is currently accepting cases. Contact an E. coli lawyer at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our online contact form.
Pritzker Olsen is one of the few firms in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation. Over the years we have collected millions for victims of food poisoning and we are involved on behalf of victims in practically every major outbreak of food poisoning.
Family Suspects Cow Show in Tri Cities Child E. coli Case
Two young children in extreme northeast Tennessee are receiving hospital treatment for E. coli poisoning and public health officials are studying whether a common source caused the illnesses.
TriCities.com, a news website in the Tri Cities area of northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia, is reporting that the first child was admitted to Johnson City Medical Center about four weeks ago and is still in the pediatric intensive care unit.
The second child, a 4-year-old boy, was hospitalized at the same medical center one week ago and was scheduled late this week to receive a blood transfusion. Family members told TriCities.com that they believe the boy contracted the potentially deadly bacteria at a cow exhibit at the Appalachian Fair.
The Tennessee Health Department and the Northeast Tennessee Health Office are investigating
“We have not identified a source,” Northeast Tennessee Health Office spokeswoman Beth Rader told TriCities.com. “The investigation is ongoing.”
E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks have been caused in the past by human contact with animals at petting zoos and livestock exhibits — most notably in recent months at the Western National Stock Show in Denver. The bacteria grows in the guts of cattle and other animals and is spread through contact with their feces, which people encounter unknowingly with their shoes or hands in areas where the animals are kept.
National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen is representing victims of the Western National Stock Show and firm president Fred Pritzker has said that outbreak was preventable. Protecting public health at such exhibits requires installation of easily accessible hand washing facilities and ample signage warning attendees of the dangers of bacterial illness.
Children are at particular risk at these shows because they have more hand-to-mouth contact than adults. E. coli O157:H7 produces a toxin in humans that attacks red blood cells and can lead to hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome or HUS, the leading cause of kidney failure in children in the U.S.
To contact an attorney at our firm who is experienced in protecting the legal rights of people victimized in HUS E. coli outbreaks, call Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900. We are one of the few law firms in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and we have collected tens of millions of dollars for victims.
Tennessee Searching for Source of 2 E. coli Cases
Health officials in Fayetteville, Tenn., are searching for the source of two confirmed E. coli O157:H7 cases in the surrounding Lincoln County area. 
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.
