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

Six inmates at the Arapahoe County jail have been diagnosed with E. coli poisoning, prompting an investigation by the Colorado and Tri-County Health Departments. Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson told reporters that the jail had six confirmed cases on Friday and 14 inmates have come down with symptoms of E. coli, which can include severe abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea, mild fever, nausea and vomiting.

One inmate had to be treated at the hospital for dehydration, which if severe enough can cause high blood pressure and other complications. All of the inmates sickened lived in Pod 3.

The source of the outbreak is not yet known. Contact our E. coli lawyers for a free consultation.

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

The Arizona, Colorado, California, New Mexico and Nevada cheese E. coli outbreak investigation will continue this week as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to identify potential sources of contamination at Bravo Farms Cheese Factory.

Bravo Farms Dutch Style Gouda Cheese sold and sampled at Costco in the five-state outbreak region has been confirmed as the likely cause of the outbreak, which has sickened at least 38 people, including 19 in Arizona and 11 in Colorado.  There have been 15 reported hospitalizations, 1 case of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and no deaths.

Pritzker Olsen law firm is representing 7 people sickened in the Costco and Bravo Farms E. coli and HUS personal injury and is continuing to accept new cases at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or by completing the contact form on the side of this Web page. Already our firm has filed an E. coli lawsuit through its local counsel on behalf of a family of four who contracted E. coli O157:H7 infections after consuming Bravo Farms Dutch Style Gouda Cheese at the Costco store located in Glendale, Arizona, on October 15. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona against Bravo Farms Cheese, LLC, a California limited liability corporation, and Costco Wholesale Corporation, a Washington corporation. 

 The Costco and Bravo Farms lawsuit seeks compensation for the family for medical expenses, travel expenses, wage loss, pain, suffering, emotional distress and other damages. Pritzker Olsen is a national E. coli, HUS and listeriosis law firm and our attorneys have won millions for E. coli, HUS and listeria victims. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said the strain of  E. coli 0157:H7 causing the outbreak has never been detected before in the CDC's PulseNet database that tracks the spread of enteric diseases in the United States..

According to the most recent CDC update on the investigation, the FDA is continuing to work with its state partners to investigate Bravo Farms in Traver, California, and to identify potential sources of contamination.  Additional investigative activities are ongoing and include:

• Conducting surveillance for additional illnesses that could be related to the outbreak.
• Gathering and testing food products that are suspected as possible sources of infection to see if they are contaminated with bacteria.
• Following epidemiologic leads gathered from interviews with patients, food purchase information, or from patterns of processing, production and/or distribution of suspected products.
• Investigating where in the distribution chain the point of contamination could have occurred.
• Costco is cooperating and assisting with this ongoing investigation.

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

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed a link between the Costco Cheese E. coli outbreak and Bravo Farms Dutch Style Gouda Cheese made from raw milk. The latest CDC update on the Costco Gouda Cheese E. coli outbreak issues a warning to consumers and physicians in Arizona, Colorado, California, Nevada and New Mexico.

Costco customers from these states who have any of this cheese should not eat it and health care professionals should be aware of this outbreak of E. coli 0157:H7 when treating people with bloody diarrhea and other symptoms of E. coli infection. To date, 37 persons infected with this rare strain of E.coli O157:H7 have been confirmed, the CDC said. The number of ill persons identified in each state with this strain is as follows: AZ (19), CA (3), CO (10), NM (3) and NV (2). Dates of illness onset range from October 16, 2010 through October 27, 2010. Patients range in age from 1 to 85 years and the median age is 16 years. There have been 15 reported hospitalizations, 1 case of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and no deaths.

Bravo Farms Dutch Style Gouda cheese was one of  several cheeses offered for sampling and sale at the “cheese road show” that was held at Costco Warehouses between October 5 and November 1 in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada.  This cheese (Costco Item 40654) is manufactured by Bravo Farms of Traver California.

Law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., has been in contact with victims of this outbreak and is continuing to accept cases from families and individuals affected by it. The firm has established a Costco cheese E. coli claims center where people can receive advice and free case consultations from an E. coli lawyer by completing the contact form on the side of this Web page or calling 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free).

PritzkerOlsen is a leading national practitioner of foodborne illness litigation, involved in practically every major outbreak of E. coli 0157:H7 and other outbreaks of food poisoning. The firm is actively involved in efforts to elminate dangerous pathogens from the U.S. food supply and  has collected millions of dollars for victims.

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

The Colorado Costco cheese E. coli outbreak has expanded and investigators have identified a second type of cheese sold at Costco that sampled positive for E. coli 0157:H7. The Colorado Department of Health and Environment announced the recall of Mauri Gorgonzola cheese with sell-by dates of January 13, 2011, and January 14, 2011. E. coli 0157:H7 was found in an unopened package tested at the state health department’s laboratory.  

The gorgonzola  was tested as part of the public health investigation into  the Costco gouda cheese E. coli outbreak that has resulted in 10 confirmed illnesses in Colorado, 15 in Arizona, 3 in southern California, 3 in New Mexico and 2 in Nevada. However, the DNA fingerprint of the gorgonzola cheese does not match the outbreak strain of E. coli associated with Bravo Farms Dutch Style Gouda cheese. Colorado officials say the two incidents appear to be separate and to date no illnesses associated with the gorgonzola cheese have been identified.

Still, consumers are cautioned not to eat Mauri Gorgonzola cheese that was sold only at Costco stores in Colorado.  The recalled 1-pound wedges of cheese can be identified by the following information contained on a white sticker on the package: “DISTRIBUTED BY DPI Specialty Foods Tualatin, OR, ITALY 34449” with sell by dates of “01/13/11” or “01/14/11.” The Costco item number is 34449. 

In regard to the Colorado E. coli outbreak that has been preliminarily linked to Bravo Farms Dutch Style Gouda Cheese, investigation continues by state and federal agencies. The outbreak strain of E. coli has been detetected in two samples of open cheese taken from the homes of separate case patients. Initially there were eight confirmed illnesses in Colorado, but an update provided this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 10 state residents are recognized victims. Of the 33 total victims in 5 states, 15 were hospitalized and one developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

A claims center for families and individuals affected by the outbreak has been established by law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., in advance of a cheese lawsuit against Bravo Farms and Costco. To contact an E. coli lawyer at PritzkerOlsen, call 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) or  complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.

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

The Costco cheese E. coli outbreak has now sicked 33 people in Arizona, Colorado, southern California, Nevada and New Mexico. The number of ill persons confirmed in each state with this strain is as follows: AZ (15), CA (3), CO (10), NM (3) and NV (2). There have been 15 reported hospitalizations, 1 case of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and no deaths. 

The CDC said lab testing on two opened packages of Bravo Farms Dutch Style Gouda Cheese purchased at Costco from two different case patient’s homes has identified E. coli O157:H7 matching the outbreak strain. There have been three other findings of E. coli 0157:H7 in Costco-sold gouda cheese from Bravo Farms, but more tests are needed to determine if they have the same genetic fingerprint as the outbreak strain. One finding was in a previously unopened sample of  Bravo Farms Dutch Style Gouda Cheese obtained from a Costco store.

Additional investigation is being conducted for a Bravo Farms cheese lawsuit for E. coli and HUS. A major unanswered question is where in the processing or distribution chain did the contamination occur? Almost certainly, raw milk is a leading suspect.

If your or a loved one has been sickened in this outbreak, national food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., has established a claims center to recover compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and additional harms. Call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page for a free case consultation with an E. coli lawyer. Our firm is in contact with victims of this outbreak and is continuing to accept additional cases. We have years of experience representing E. coli victims in outbreaks of foodborne illness and we represent case patients in practically every major outbreak.

E. coli 0157:H7 infections are not to be taken lightly. When ingested by humans, the bacterium releases a powerful toxin that attacks red blood cells, often causing bloody diarrhea and painful cramping as initial symptoms. Many healthy adults withstand infections with no medical assistance, but in 5 to 15 percent of cases the organism causes HUS, the leading cause of kidney failure in children worldwide. HUS and TTP patients (thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura) also are at risk for brain damage, paralysis, anemia, strokes and heart complications. Children under the age of 5 and older adults are most susceptible to developing HUS TTP, which can have life-long consequences.

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

E. coli 0157:H7 has been found in an opened package of Bravo Farms Dutch Style Gouda Cheese purchased at Costco by a victim in the five-state Costco Gouda Cheese E. coli outbreak.

Additional testing is ongoing to confirm the result while state and federal health investigators look for additional illnesses that could be related to this outbreak, which so far has sickened 25 people in Arizona, Colorado, California, Nevada and New Mexico. 

This update on the Costco cheese E. coli outbreak was provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is investigating where in the distribution chain the point of contamination could have occurred. So far,  there is a preliminary link with one of several cheeses offered for sampling and sale at the Costco “cheese road show” that was held between October 5 and November 1 in the five states where people are sick. "This cheese is Bravo Farms Dutch Style Gouda Cheese (Costco Item 40654), manufactured by Bravo Farms of Traver, California,'' the CDC said.

Members of the public who have experienced symptoms of E. coli infection, including bloody diarrhea and painful stomach cramps, should see a doctor and the results of any positive stool culture will be communicated with health officials. A gouda cheese E. coli outbreak claims center has been established at law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., to provide representation in a Bravo Farms cheese lawsuit. To contact the claims center for a free case consultation from an E. coli lawyer, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.

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

A Colorado Costco cheese E. coli outbreak has sickened eight individuals in the state while federal health officials are warning consumers not to eat Bravo Farms Dutch-style Gouda cheese. Costco sold and offered the cheese as free samples for in-store tastings during a cheese road show from October 5 to November 1.

Besides Colorado, the Costco cheese E. coli outbreak has sickened 11 in Arizona, 1 in California, 3 in New Mexico and 2 in Nevada. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that nine of these Gouda cheese E. coli outbreak victims were hospitalized, including one possible case of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). 

In Colorado, people n the following counties have become ill: Douglas (4), Arapahoe (3) and Boulder (1)

CDC is collaborating with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the other states in tracking this outbreak, which involves a rare strain of E. coli 0157:H7. Dates of illness onset range from October 16 through October 24, but illnesses that started after October 24 may be confirmed at later dates. The CDC said patients in this outbreak have ranged in age from 2 to 81 years and the median age is 14 years.

Preliminary laboratory testing conducted on an opened package of Bravo Farms Dutch Style Gouda Cheese purchased at Costco from a case patient’s home has indicated the presence of E. coli O157:H7. Additional laboratory testing is currently ongoing to confirm this result, including tests by Costco.

According to Bravo Farm's Web site, the California company's cheeses are made from fresh raw milk from its family's farm. Unpasteurized milk presents a human health risk for E. coli infection and other pathogens.

The E. coli attorneys at Pritzker Olsen, a national food safety law firm, are investigating this Colorado Costco cheese E. coli outbreak and attorney Fred Pritzker has contacted epidemiologists and other food safety experts as part of the firm’s investigation. The firm has established a claims center for members of the public and free case consultations are available at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or by completing the contact form on the side of this Web page.

Meanwhile, Colorado and Tri-County health officials are urging individuals experiencing signs or symptoms of E.coli infection to immediately contact their health care provider. Health care providers also should immediately report any suspected infection to state or local public health authorities. The Tri-County Health Department, which serves Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties, has the highest number of cases in this outbreak and has been heavily involved in the investigation with the state, FDA and CDC.

“I’m very proud of Tri-County staff, who played a major role in linking illnesses with the cheese served and sold at Costco,” said Dr. Richard L. Vogt, executive director of Tri-County Health Department. 

• 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

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen has filed a Rocky Mountain Natural Meats E. coli lawsuit in Jefferson County District Court on behalf of a woman who was sickened by contaminated bison meat.

According to the complaint filed in Golden, Colorado, a retail package of buffalo made by Rocky Mountain Natural Meats was the source of an E. coli O157:H7 infection suffered by 53-year-old Fran Vanse of Lakewood, Colorado.

The lawsuit, filed with local counsel Reilly Pozner of Denver,  says state health department officials investigated her illness and concluded that Ms. Vanse is part of a Colorado buffalo E. coli outbreak linked to the defendant's meat. She is one of at least six people to contract E. coli O157:H7 from eating bison from Rocky Mountain Natural Meats.

Lawyer Fred Pritzker, founder and president of Pritzker Olsen, is currently in contact with other victims from this outbreak and is accepting additional cases. The firm has launched its own independent investigation. If you have information or questions, call Fred 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 foodborne illness litigation and we have collected millions over the years for victims of food poisoning. 

According to the complaint in Jefferson County, Ms. Vanse purchased the contaminated meat in June from the King Soopers grocery store in Lakewood. She experienced classic E. coli symptoms including diarrhea and stomach pain and was hospitalized for several days at Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver. After being released from the hospital, she continued to be sick for about a week.

On July 2, 2010, Rocky Mountain Natural Meats recalled 66,000 pounds of bison product that USDA has said may be adulterated with E. coli O157:H7. 

The meat was sold nationwide in certain grocery stores and in some restaurants via foodservice distributors in Arizona and Utah.

The Colorado lawsuit on behalf of Ms. Vanse alleges that Rocky Mountain Natural Meats negligently manufactured, distributed and sold a food product that was unreasonably dangerous. 

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

Denver Public Health has recorded another seven E. coli O157:H7 infections in Colorado, bringing the number of cases there to 27 in an ongoing outbreak.

Spokeswoman Dee Martinez told the Denver Post that the health agency's investigation is continuing. When the first 20 matching strains of E. coli O157:H7 were reported to the public on Feb. 6, Dr. Chris Urbina of Denver Public Health said the working hypothesis was that the cause could be related to the National Western Stock Show in Denver.

He said then that tests he hoped would help pinpoint the cause would likely be ready within a week, but no test results have been reported. Of the first 20 cases, 16 were children who had been to the 15-day livestock extravaganza.

In press release issued by PritzkerOlsen, attorney Fred Pritzker had this to say about the outbreak's association with the National Western Stock Show:

This outbreak should not have happened and could have been prevented. When stock shows encourage or permit public contact with animals, there is a well known risk of E. coli O157:H7 infection and equally well known measures that should be in place to prevent such infections.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc. (NASPHV) published a compendium of such infection prevention measures almost four years ago.

Although the matter is still under investigation, it seems likely that rules of this sort were not implemented or followed.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Share Link

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Fred Pritzker 1-888-3777-8900 (toll-free)

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – February 6, 2009 – Eating contaminated food is still far and away the most common way for people to become infected with E. coli O157:H7, a deadly pathogen that sickens more than 70,000 Americans each year.

But national food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen Attorneys is reminding families early in 2009 that contact with animals at livestock shows, petting zoos and other exhibits is another proven way for the organism to travel.

The law firm's warning stems from a current E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in Colorado. Health officials there are investigating an apparent connection between a growing number of genetically matched infections and attendance at the recent Western National Stock Show in Denver.

According to numerous press reports, at least 20 people who live on the Front Range in Colorado have been infected with the same strain of E. coli. Sixteen of the illnesses are in children who attended the animal exhibit, including a child who is 17 months old. The two-week show drew more than 643,000 attendees before it ended January 25 and health officials expect the number of E. coli O157:H7 infections in the current outbreak to grow.

"This outbreak should not have happened and could have been prevented,'' said Fred Pritzker, founder and president of PritzkerOlsen. "When stock shows encourage or permit public contact with animals, there is a well known risk of E. coli O157:H7 infection and equally well known measures that should be in place to prevent such infections.''

Pritzker said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc. (NASPHV) published a compendium of such infection prevention measures almost four years ago.

"Although the matter is still under investigation, it seems likely that rules of this sort were not implemented or followed,'' he said.

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a rare variety of E. coli that produces a toxin that causes severe damage to the lining of the intestine. Specifically, the acute disease caused by E. coli O157:H7 is hemorrhagic colitis. E. coli O157:H7 can also result in hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of kidney failure in children in the United States.

With the understanding that children are more at risk for being seriously injured or killed by E. coli O157:H7 infection, it is imperative for families and school groups to take precautions while attending petting zoos, livestock shows and other animal exhibits.

Based on guidelines set by the (CDC) and the National Ag Safety Database, PritzkerOlsen presents the following strategies to reduce the risk of E. coli transmission in settings with animals:

• Locate hand-washing stations and always wash your hands after being in an area with animals, even if you don't touch them. Bacteria can be spread by shaking hands, touching railings or coming in contact with soil.
• Running water and soap are best for hand washing. Where there is no running water, hand sanitizing gel is better than nothing.
• Don't consume food or drinks in any area shared with animals.
• Older adults, pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems and young children should be extra careful.
• Avoid hand-mouth activities such as smoking, drinking or nail biting in any area shared with animals.
• Do not eat or drink raw (unpasteurized) milk or other dairy products.
• Children younger than 5 years old need adult supervision around animals.
• Never allow children to put their hands, toys, pacifiers or other objects in their mouths while around animals.
• Supervise the hand washing of children.
• Even after hand washing, be aware that exposure to E. coli O157:H7 can come from shoes, contaminated clothing or even strollers that were in areas shared with animals.

PritzkerOlsen currently is representing victims of the nationwide Salmonella outbreak linked to peanut butter and peanut products made by Peanut Corporation of America at a plant in Blakely, Georgia.  The Minneapolis-based firm is representing the families of two Minnesota women who died in the outbreak after consuming contaminated peanut butter served on toast.

In one case, Pritzker already has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Peanut Corporation of America and King Nut Companies, a peanut butter distributor.

PritzkerOlsen has considerable experience and a reputation for success in representing survivors of foodborne illnesses, including E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella and Shigella. The firm is involved in virtually every national outbreak and has collected large sums on behalf of people injured or killed by adulterated food.

In addition, the firm is devoted to educating the public about food safety issues and advocating for badly needed food safety legislation and increased funding for the federal, state and local agencies charged with protecting our food and enforcing food safety laws.

Pritzker and members of his firm are frequent guests and commentators about food safety issues and have been interviewed by and profiled in a number of media sources including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press and CNN.

For more information, visit http://www.pritzkerlaw.com or contact Fred Pritzker at 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free). PritzkerOlsen has offices are located at Plaza VII, Suite 2950, 45 South Seventh Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402

###

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Share Link

Health officials in Denver are investigating a correlation between a growing number of E. coli O157:H7 infections and attendance at the National Western Stock Show.

Dr. Chris Urbina of Denver Public Health told the Denver Post that 20 people have been infected with the same strain of E. coli O157:H7, including 16 children who attended the two-week animal show in Denver that ended January 25.

"We are trying to figure out the source -- whether food, water or animals,'' Urbina said.

A spokesman for the Stock Show said officials are cooperating with the investigation but stressed that no one has yet established a scientific link. Urbina says the number of lab-confirmed infections is expected to grow. More than 643,000 people attended the animal show in Denver, many of them children on school or family outings. The youngest child to be sickened with the pathogen is 17 months old.

Because it sometimes takes eight to 10 days after exposure to the organism for a child to feel sick, health officials fear that some infected children returned to day care centers or schools and further spread the E. coli.

PritzkerOlsen Attorneys, a national food safety law firm, is currently representing victims of the nationwide Salmonella outbreak linked to peanut butter and peanut products from the South Georgia processing plant of Peanut Corporation of America. PritzkerOlsen has considerable experience and a reputation for success in representing survivors of all foodborne illnesses, especially E. coli O157:H7 and a complication of the infection known as Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, or HUS.

In the peanut butter Salmonella outbreak, firm president Fred Pritzker represents the families of two Minnesota women who died with infections matching the outbreak strain. He has already filed a wrongful death lawsuit in one of the cases and will soon file a second one.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Share Link

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is investigating an E. coli outbreak that has been associated with a Jimmy John’s in Boulder, Colorado. Boulder County Public Health (BCPH) began investigating the Colorado E. coli outbreak in September when 7 students and a sorority adviser at the University of Colorado at Boulder became ill. All 8 had eaten Jimmy John’s subs.

The Colorado Health Department is now investigating 3 additional cases that have surfaced in Boulder and 3 cases elsewhere in Boulder County.

Alicia Cronquist, a spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment told KUSA-9News:

“It's pretty clear to us that many of the cases in Boulder County are connected to the same sandwich shop. What's not clear to us is how the other cases around the state are linked to that. We suspect that they all ate some kind of common food item, but we're investigating to determine which one it is.”

Although the Boulder cases have been associated with Jimmy John’s, the health department is continuing its investigation to determine what sickened the three people that do not reside in Boulder. E. coli isolates from those three cases have the same genetic fingerprint as E. coli isolates from the 11 Boulder cases, meaning the illnesses were caused by the same source. 

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

Boulder County Public Health (BCPH) is investigating an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that has sickened at least eight people, seven of them students at the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU).  The investigation began September 23rd.

Health officials have not determined the source of the outbreak, but initial investigations indicate that on-campus dining is not related to the illness. BCPH staff is working closely with CU and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to identify the source of the outbreak and any additional cases among students and the public.

News reports have indicated that most of the students sickened are members of the same sorority.  This suggests that the source of the outbreak is water or food associated with the sorority.  Contact our law firm regarding liability and compensation in an E. coli case.

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

The Tri-County Health Department officed in Greenwood Village, Colorado has reported that it is investigating the death of a 3 1/2-year-old Aurora boy who died from E. coli poisoning.  Most of the E. coli outbreaks in the last several weeks have been caused by contaminated beef products.

Most children who die after contracting an E. coli infection had developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a sereve illness that can cause kidney failure, pancreatitis, brain damage and a host of other serious medical contditions.  E. coli O157:H7 is responsible for most cases of HUS.

Health officials are investigating this case, looking for a source of the illness.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Share Link

A young boy from Nebraska is in Colorado with a serious E. coli infection.  The boy, only 21 months old, became sick on August 10. According to The North Platte Bulletin, the toddler had diarrhea and was taken to the Perkins County Community Hospital, but was moved to the Great Plains Regional Medical Center after becoming severely dehydrated.   At that point, physicians informed the boy’s parents that he was suffering from E. coli, and on August 14, the decision was made to fly the toddler to the Children’s Hospital in Denver. Currently there isn’t any information about a period of recovery for the boy, nor is there any information on how the boy may have contracted E. coli or clues to a source of the infection, which is usually transmitted via contaminated food.

Serious cases of E. coli infection like this child's usually involve hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), an illness that often develops in young children who have E. coli infections.  Hemolytic uremic syndrome is the leading cause of kidney failure (renal failure) in children in the United States.  It can also lead to pancreatitis, brain and spinal cord damage and other serious conditions.

Although the name of the Nebraska boy is in news reports, we have withheld his name here out of respect for him and his family.

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