Food Poisoning Law Blog : Food Poisoning Lawyer & Attorney : PritzkerLaw : Food Safety, Outbreaks & Recalls

Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia have all been affected by an outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni associated with raw milk from The Family Cow dairy farm in Chambersburg, Pa. The official count of 38 laboratory confirmed illnesses at week's end was expected to grow.

Because raw milk is not pasteurized, disease-causing organisms like Campylobacter, which grow in the intestines of cows and other animals, can translocate, survive the bottling process and multiply once inside a plastic jug or any other container. Children, the elderly and people who have weakened immune systems are most at risk for serious illness. Campylobacter infections, in particular, can lead to a life-threatening complication known as GBS, or Guillain-Barre' Syndrome.

In The Family Cow Campylobacter outbreak that began in mid-January, half of the victims have been under the age of 18. The ages of all case patients range from 2 to 74 and some individuals have been hospitalized. GBS can cause acute muscular paralysis and respiratory failure. By far, the largest number of illnesses (31) are in Pennsylvania, where Family Cow raw milk is sold at health food stores and drop points around Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, eastern Pennsylvania and the south-central region.

National food poisoning law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is conducting its own investigation and has noted a special finding by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.The DHMH Laboratories Administration has confirmed the presence of Campylobacter jejuni in two unopened raw milk samples purchased from this farm. This scientific link between the outbreak and Family Cow raw milk will be an important element in any outbreak-related Pennsylvania raw milk lawsuit.

Fred Pritzker, founder and president of PritzkerOlsen, is scheduled to debate the question of raw milk safety at Harvard University Law School Feb. 16. His firm is one of the very few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and he has collected millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning while also actively working on causes to stop bacterial contamination of our food supply.

Families and individuals harmed in the current raw milk outbreak in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia can contact a food illness lawyer at PritzkerOlsen or call the firm directly at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). Case consultations are free and clients are not required to pay unless and until a claim is secured for them.

PritzkerOlsen attorneys currently represent the family of a 67-year-old man from Mars, Pennsylvania, who was paralyzed as a result of drinking raw milk tainted with Campylobacter. Allegheny County is the location of that Pennsylvania raw milk lawsuit. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Family Cow raw milk associated with a Campylobacter outbreak in Pennsylvania and Maryland was sold, among other places, at the Healthy Grocer in Camp Hill, Pa., and at various drop points and health food stores across the state.

The Family Cow website lists 29 total drop points for the milk around Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, south-central Pennsylvania and eastern Pennsylvania. At least 25 health food stores are listed as retailers of the farm's products.

Customers reported having high fever, diarrhea and the chills and health officials have confirmed that three people in Pennsylvania and three people in Maryland became infected by Camplyobacter bacteria, a dangerous pathogen emitted from cows and other animals in their feces. Campylobacter is one of several enteric bacteria associated with raw milk food illness outbreaks.

The Family Cow dairy of the Chambersburg area issued a news release advising customers with raw milk marked with a "best by'' date in January to discard it. The dairy advises customers who have milk with a “best by” date in February to hold the milk until testing reports come in. More results are expected Monday. Sales have been halted until at least Tuesday.

 A broader warning has been issued by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Health: Consumers should discard any product purchased from this farm since January 1, 2012.

 The implicated milk is labeled “raw milk” (meaning, not pasteurized) and is sold under “The Family Cow” label in plastic gallon, half gallon, quart and pint containers. 

National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is investigating this outbreak and accepting cases from families and individuals who have fallen ill. The firm currently represents a Mars, Pennsylvania, family in a raw milk Campylobacter lawsuit filed in 2010 in Allegheny County. In that case, a healthy 67-year-old man who drank contaminated raw milk suffered respiratory failure and acute neuromuscular paralysis from a complication of Campylobacter infection known as Guillain Barre syndrome, or GBS. 

Source: The Patriot-News

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Guillian-Barre' Syndrome, or GBS, is a dreaded medical condition that often causes muscle weakness or paralysis. It is known to follow infection and is seen during outbreaks of Campylobacter, a foodborne illness that causes diarrhea and other gastrointestinal distress.

In Yuma County Arizona and across the border in Sonora, Mexico, public health officials this week are traveling across their respective borders to conduct a joint investigation of an unusual GBS cluster that may or may not have its origins in an outbreak of Campylobacter.  With a combined 24 cases of GBS, officials are scrambling to find the cause, according to a news release from the Arizona Department of Health Services.

“We recognize that this apparent cluster of Guillain-Barré Syndrome cases is of great concern to the community,” said Shoana Anderson, Office Chief of Infectious Disease at ADHS. “One potential cause we’ve identified is Campylobacter bacteria, a commonly-identified organism that can precede Guillain-Barré. While there have been more cases of Campylobacter this year, we have not yet positively confirmed that it is responsible for these Guillain-Barré infections.”

The first signs of GBS are muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. It usually appears after someone has been sick with an infection, often with diarrhea. The key is to find the root cause of the infection.

National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is monitoring this outbreak investigation and will answer legal questions from any family or individual who has been victimized by GBS. Send contact information or call 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) to receive a no-fee consultation.

GBS Campylobacter Lawsuit

Our firm currently represents a Pennsylvania man who was horribly paralyzed by GBS following a Campylobacter infection he contracted in an outbreak linked to contaminated raw milk. We also have represented other GBS patients and have collected tens of millions of dollars over the years for victims of all kinds of food poisoning. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Campylobacter in chickens and turkeys is the riskiest food contamination based on the public health impact found in a study by the University of Florida's Emerging Pathogens Institute. The study said Campylobacter bacteria sicken 600,000 Americans every year because of inadequate oversight.

Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)  is a  feared complication of Campylobacter. There are several forms of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), making the range of symptoms wide as well, but some of the more commonly encountered effects are limb and respiratory weakness, and loss of reflexes. Miller Fisher syndrome is a subtype of GBS.

In essence, study authors make a case for regulators to focus food safety oversight on the 10 riskiest pairs of bacteria and food.  It found that the 10 combinations cost the economy $8 billion a year and 37,000 Quality-Adjusted Life Years, a measure of disease burden that factors in pain, suffering and a disease's impact on normal activities.

"The number of hazards and scale of the food system make for a critical challenge for consumers and government alike," lead author Michael Batz said in a statement. "Government agencies must work together to effectively target their efforts. If we don't identify which pairs of foods and microbes present the greatest burden, we'll waste time and resources and put even more people at risk."

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

The last outbreak of Campylobacter infection occurred one year ago in a cluster of illnesses in Michigan that also prompted health warnings in Illinois and Indiana. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), working with state partners, associated the outbreak with raw milk produced on a farm in Middlebury, Indiana.

A separate raw milk Campylobacter outbreak happened in Pennsylvania at about the same time, resulting in a tragic case of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) in a 67-year-old man from Mars, Pennsylvania.

Though not as common as outbreaks of E. coli and Salmonella, foodborne disease caused by Campylobacter bacteria can be just as menacing.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), campylobacteriosis causes an incidence of about 13 cases per 100,000 population diagnosed in the United States annually. About 124 people per year in the U.S. die from it. Raw cow's milk is a common vehicle for transmission of campylobacteriosis, but the bacteria also is found in almost all raw poultry because it lives in the intestinal track of healthy birds.

Complications of infection can include meningitis, urinary tract infections, reactive arthritis and Guillain-Barre syndrome. GBS is an unusual type of paralysis. It can last for weeks to months. Most people eventually recover completely or nearly completely, but some people have permanent nerve damage and about 5 percent of  people who develop GBS die. Paralysis of the muscles that control breathing also is a mark of Guillain-Barré. Lawyer Fred Pritzker of national food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen has handled multiple cases of GBS litigation resulting from Campylobacter infection.

Unlike other dreaded medical conditions, campylobacteriosis and GBS are preventable and the lawyers at PritzkerOlsen are actively involved in efforts to stop outbreaks and prevent the spread of all harmful pathogens in the U.S. food supply. As a representative for victims of food poisoning, we hold food purveyors responsible for the costly harms caused by contaminated milk, meat, processed food and produce of all kinds. For a free case consultation with a Campylobacter lawyer, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our contact form and a lawyer will call you. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Raw milk has become attractive to some Americans looking for food products that are natural or at least not heavily processed. But because raw milk and other unpasteurized dairy products pose a risk of severe illness, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been reaching out to educate consumers about health hazards.

The latest effort is a collection of three dramatic videos grouped together on a website called "CDC -- Real Stories of the Dangers of Raw Milk.'' One is from a California woman whose 7-year-old son fell ill. Another is from a single mom from Connecticut who was sickened after trying raw milk  because she had trouble digesting lactose. A third is about a Missouri family who tried goat's milk with horrible results.

E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella and Campylobacter are three of the pathogens that can contaminate raw milk and potentially kill those who become severely infected.  National food safety law firm PritzerOlsen, P.A., currently represents a Pennsylvania man who was paralyzed from complications of Campylobacter that he contracted from consuming contaminated raw milk. Many studies have shown that pasteurization does not significantly change the nutritional value of milk – pasteurized milk is rich in proteins, carbohydrates, and other nutrients. Heat slightly affects a few of the vitamins found in milk--  thiamine, vitamin B12, and vitamin C-- but milk is only a minor source of these vitamins.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Campylobacter outbreak investigations may get a boost from USDA research that has hit upon a faster way to identify the foodborne pathogen. Standard methodology requires the better part of a week for lab personnel to isolate the bacteria, which can cause severe illness and death. Now USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have developed a way to identify Campylobacter in less than 24 hours after the bacteria is plated. The process is called hyperspectral imaging, a combination of digital imaging with spectroscopy.

According to a USDA research brief, ARS scientists say samples are placed on solid media in a Petri dish. Hyperspectral imaging provides hundreds of individual wavelength measurements for each image pixel. This "sensing" technology, which was nearly 100 percent accurate with pure cultures of the microorganisms, could be used for early detection of presumptive Campylobacter colonies in cultures of mixed bacteria, USDA said. The researchers are working toward developing a presumptive screening technique to detect Salmonella and Campylobacter in food samples.

According to the latest estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 845,000 people a year in the U.S. become infected with Campylobacter. Of those, more than 100 people died. 

People infected by Campylobacter jejuni risk the onset of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), which can take on several form with a wide range of symptoms. But some of the more commonly encountered effects are limb and respiratory weakness, and loss of reflexes. Research indicates that 20 percent GBS cases may have significant and lasting neurologic effects.

If you or a loved one has contracted Campylobacter  from poultry products, raw milk or other food source, contact a Campylobacter lawyer at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., for a free consultation on whether you should pursue a financial claim or possible Campylobacter lawsuit. Our firm currently represents a Pennsylvania man who drank raw milk contaminated with the organism and his severe illness from the bacteria caused him long-term paralysis. Call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our contact form online and a lawyer will contact you. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

 The Hartmann Dairy farm in Gibbon, Minnesota, was implicated by state health officials as the source of an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections in May and June. Eight E. coli infections were part of the Hartmann Dairy outbreak.

At the time, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) ordered owner Mike Hartmann to stop selling raw milk until he addressed the unsanitary conditions on his farm. MDA also directed him to comply with the state law that allows for the sale of unpasteurized milk only on the farm at which the milk was produced. Those restrictions remained in effect.

Now officials are wondering how seven new ill people acquired raw milk from the Hartmann farm that has been tied to four cases of Cryptosporidium parvum, a parasite, and three infections of Campylobacter. These illnesses occurred in months following the Hartmann E. coli outbreak.

Federal and state regulators have said raw milk carries a risk of disease because it hasn't been through the germ-destroying pasteurization process. Microscopic pathogens from the cows' manure inevitably contaminates raw milk and a kill step is required to wipe them out. 

In its announcement about the latest Hartmann dairy outbreak, the Minnesota Department of Health said it has identified 47 other people who became ill in the state since 1 Jan 2010, after drinking raw milk from a variety of other sources throughout the state -- not the Hartmann Dairy. Most of those cases have been young adults or children, the department said.

Law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is investigating the latest Hartmann Dairy outbreak and is accepting cases from families sickened by the bacteria or parasites. To talk to a food safety lawyer at the firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) or complete the free consultation form on the side of this Web page. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

A clambake at Hinerwadel's Grove in North Syracuse, New York, is associated with a Campylobacter outbreak that has sickened at least 60 people.

All victims were attendees at a Hinerwadel's clambake held September 15 for the Central New York Builders' Exchange, WSYR-TV reported. The television station quoted the Onondaga County Health Department as saying raw clams were served at the event.

Campylobacter bacteria is one of the most common causes of food poisoning in the United States, but the vast majority of cases occur as isolated events, not as part of recognized outbreaks such as the New York clambake Campylobacter outbreak at Hinerwadel's. Illnesses may last up to 10 days, including diarrhea, fever, cramps and vomitting.

National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is investigating the clambake food poisoning outbreak at Hinerwadel's and is beginning to accept cases from those who fell ill. To receive a free case consultation, call PritzkerOlsen at 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) or by completing the contact form on the side of this Web page.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Campylobacteriosis is a bacterial disease caused by Campylobacter jejuni or Campylobacter coli.

Campylobacter usually causes a mild to severe infection of the gastrointestinal system, including watery or bloody diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting. Indirect transmission of the bacteria through consumption of contaminated food or water is the most common route of infection.

Public Health Officials in Gallatin County have confirmed cases of Campylobacter infection in the West Yellowstone area and believe the cause may be contaminated well water at the Campfire Lodge Resort Public Water Supply System. They believe 80 people may have been sickened by the outbreak.

As the investigation continues, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality is recommending that water be boiled before use for human consumption, or that individuals should purchase bottled water.

Law firm Pritzker Olsen is conducting its own investigation and gathering information from those sickened in the Montana Campylobacter outbreak at Camfire Lodge in the Hebgen Lake area.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed as having Campylobacter, our firm can answer legal questions about a possible Campylobacter lawsuit filed in Montana. To reach an attorney for this free case consultation, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on this Web page.

Campylobacter is a common type of foodborne or waterborne illness, but it should not be taken lightly. In a small percentage of cases, patients may develop Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which can lead to paralysis or death.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

At least 80 people are ill from a Montana Campylobacter outbreak that state health officials think is linked to contaminated well water at the Campfire Lodge Resort outside West Yellowstone in the Hebgen Lake area.

Matt Kelley, health officer for the Gallatin City-County Health Department, said the suspect well has been turned off and the resort's restaurant has been closed. Until further testing is done, the resort is under a boil water advisory from the health department. 

Untreated water can carry Campylobacter due to contamination from infected animal or human feces. The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services has confirmed 14 cases of Campylobacter and many others are suspected as test results are pending. 

The Campfire Lodge Campylobacter outbreak was detected from a cluster of Campylobacter infections reported in the Hebgen Lake area -- traced to the suspect well through food history interviews done by public health nurses and others.

Campylobacter causes painful diarrhea, fever and vomitting and is one of the most common forms of foodborne illness in the United States. But infections should not be taken lightly. If you or a loved one has been sickened in this outbreak, seek medical attention.  

Campylobacter symptoms can occur as early as one day, or as late as 10 days, after exposure to the organism. The illness typically lasts a week. In rare cases, Campylobacter can cause Guillain-Barré syndrome, a servere illness that can lead to paralysis and death.

Law firm Pritzker Olsen is investigating this outbreak independently of state and local health officials for a possible Campylobacter lawsuit. If you have been sickened after a stay at Campfire Lodge Resort or eating at the Camfire Lodge restaurant and have legal questions about possible compensation for your illness, contact our firm at 1-888-377-8900 or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.

Pritzker Olsen is a leading national practitioner in foodborne illness litigation and we have years of experience representing victims of Campylobacter and other forms of food poisoning. We have collected millions for our clients and as a law firm we are actively involved in efforts to reduce and eliminate human pathogens from our food supply.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

A second child has been hospitalized with severe illness after drinking unpasteurized goat milk  from Billy Goat Dairy in Longmont, Colorado.

That is the report from Boulder County Public Health, which noted that the first child hospitalized on June 27 remains hospitalized.

Lab tests have confirmed that non-pasteurized milk products from Billy Goat Dairy are associated with illness in 30 people, according to the health agency.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Health officials in Longmont, Colorado, have ordered Billy Goat Dairy to halt distribution of its raw milk products as part of an investigation into an outbreak of Campylobacter and E. coli O157:H7.

Since June 10, 16 people who reported drinking raw milk from the dairy have become ill, including two children who were hospitalized. Boulder County Public Health is reporting that one of the children remains hospitalized.

Young children are especially prone to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) caused by infections of E. coli O157:H7 and other foodborne pathogens. More than half of children with HUS develop acute kidney failure and some may require a kidney transplant later in life. Injury from this disease can be even more far-reaching, affecting brain, heart and central nervous system functions.

To consult an E. coli lawyer about your family's legal rights in cases of HUS and foodborne illness, call law firm Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the online contact form on the side of this Web page. Our firm is a leading practitioner of food poisoning litigation and is actively involved in efforts to prevent outbreaks that cause HUS and other potentially deadly illnesses.

In the United States this year, contaminated raw milk has been associated with at least 10 outbreaks of food poisoning. In the the Billy Goat Dairy raw milk Campylobacter and E. coli outbreak, the dairy operates a goat share program in which individuals buy a share of a goat and in return receive raw, unpasteurized milk.

Lab tests have confirmed the presence of Campylobacter and E. coli 0157 in Billy Goat customers who have reported illness after drinking the product. Both types of bacteria are found in the intestines of animals and can be passed in their feces; contaminating surfaces in milking and bottling areas. 

When milk is pasteurized, these pathogens are killed. In raw milk, the organisms survive and can't be detected through eyesight, smell or taste of the product.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

The Utah County Health Department (UCHD) continues its epidemiological investigation of an outbreak of Campylobacter in the Saratoga Springs area. To date, of the reported cases of Campylobacter in this outbreak, 17 are confirmed and 333 are probable.

Attorney Elliot Olsen has recently settled a case were water sickened a young child.  Contact Mr. Olsen for more information.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

In Utah, the City of Saratoga Springs Campylobacter outbreak has resulted in 15 lab confirmed cases of Campylobacter infection and many more individuals are reportedly ill with symptoms consistent with the bacteria.

The Utah County Health Department said in a news release that it has been interviewing affected individuals to find a source of the disease. As of now the only common source among cases is the public water system.

Last Thursday, Saratoga Springs issued a boil water order for residents on the north side of the city. On Friday, the city flushed the drinking water system and added chlorine to kill any lingering bacteria. The boil order  was lifted Saturday after tests were negative for coliform bacteria.

The Utah County Health Department is continuing its investigation into the disease outbreak with the City of Saratoga Springs, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, the Utah Department of Health, and other public and private organizations to determine the cause,

Campylobacteriosis is an infectious diarrheal disease that  typically lasts one week. The diarrhea may be bloody and can be accompanied by fever, nausea and vomiting. Some infected persons do not have any symptoms. In persons with compromised immune systems, Campylobacter occasionally spreads to the bloodstream and causes a serious life-threatening infection. This is known as Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

If you or a loved one has been sickened in this outbreak, call a Campylobacter attorney at law firm Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.

Our law firm is one of the few in the nation practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and we have collected millions for victims of food and water poisoning. Pritzker Olsen is involved in practically every major outbreak of foodborne illness and currently represents Camplylobacter  victims.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Pritzker Olsen law firm has filed a lawsuit through its local counsel in Pittsburgh on behalf of James and Maureen Orchard, a couple sickened last month by Campylobacter  from raw milk produced by Pasture Maid Creamery LLC of New Castle, Pennsylvania.

The Pasture Maid Creamery lawsuit was filed in the Court of Common Pleas in Allegheney County. It alleges that 67-year-old James Orchard became paralyzed from a Campylobacter infection he suffered from unpasteurized Pasture Maid milk that health investigators later found to be contaminated.

According to the complaint, Mr. Orchard and his wife purchased the milk March 16 from McGinnis Sisters Special Foods store in Mars, Pennsylvania, where they live. The retailer is named in the suit along with the creamery and its owner, Adam Dean.

While Mrs. Orchard became seriously sick and sore, her husband began to experience a loss of sensation and movement. He developed Guillain-Barre syndrome and became totally paralyzed except for minimal movement of his head and the ability to blink his eyes. He was placed on ventilation equipment and is still unable to breathe on his own in a Pittsburgh area hospital. Mr. Orchard requires around the clock intensive care.

Fred Pritzker, the Orchards’ attorney said, says the case tragically illustrates how unsafe raw milk is.

“Raw milk is a dangerous product that should not be sold to the public. Virtually every health department, federal, state and local, recommends against its use,'' Pritzker said. "It is particularly dangerous for young children, people with compromised immune systems and the elderly.''

According to the complaint, the Pennsylvania Department of Health found Campylobacter bacteria in raw milk samples from Pasture Maid.  On March 25, 2010, the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Agriculture advised consumers to discard Pasture Maid brand raw milk and recommended that Pasture Maid Creamery stop selling the product.

On April 5, 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture suspended Pasture Maid’s permit to sell raw milk for human consumption. Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized -- a flash heating process that destroys pathogens like Campylobacter and E. coli O157:H7 with high temperature.

Pritzker Olsen law firm, headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, represents individuals and families nationwide in cases involving foodborne illness. The firm is involved in virtually every major foodborne illness outbreak and has obtained some of the largest verdicts and settlements in foodborne illness cases. Attorney Fred Pritzker can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) or by completing the contact form on the side of this Web page.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link