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

Health officials in Raleigh, North Carolina, worked through the weekend identifying more cases of E. coli infection associated with the 2011 NC State Fair. The latest results show that two people from as far east as Wilson County have been affected. 

Of the 24 cases related to the NC State Fair E. coli outbreak, nine have been confirmed and 15 are still being investigated. Here are the latest numbers and counties involved according to the North Carolina Public Health Division. 

• Wake - 11 
• Sampson - 7 
• Cleveland - 1 
• Durham - 1 
• Johnston - 1 
• Orange - 1 
• Wilson – 2 

So far, five people have been hospitalized and three people have suffered kidney failure, the first major symptom of a complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Investigators have a lot of ground to cover because of all the food stands and animal exhibits at the Fair. They have launched a full scale epidemiological study to narrow down the possibilities of where the outbreak started.

If you or a loved one has recently experienced symptoms of E. coli infection, visit your health care provider immediately.  For answers to legal questions about claims against the State Fair and its vendors, call national food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or leave your contact information online and a lawyer from the firm will call you.

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St. Louis County, Missouri, is the center of a foodborne E. coli outbreak that has sickened 14 people in the past week, including 23-year-old Jasmine Bell. Health officials are scrambling to determine the source and urge parents to take any child with bloody diarrhea directly to a hospital emergency room for treatment and testing. 

James Bell of Florissant, Missouri, told a reporter that Jasmine, his daughter, has been hospitalized since Saturday with what hospital and health officials told him was a confirmed E. coli infection. Jasmine Bell started feeling sick during the middle of last week.

James Bell said his daughter is recovering after receiving fluids and medication and may be released soon from Christian Hospital in north St. Louis County. He said she works at a downtown St. Louis deli.

St. Louis area physicians have been alerted to the outbreak and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been notified.

E. coli poisoning from food can be a life-threatening experience, especially in children under 5 years of age, the elderly and others who have weakened immune systems. Bloody diarrhea and painful cramps are symptoms of the disease.

Feared complications of E. coli include hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) or TTP HUS, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, where toxins released from E. coli organisms attack a person's red blood cells. Kidney failure, stroke, heart attacks, central nervous system disorders (including paralysis) and brain injuries can result and even a person with a mild case of E. coli can be at long-term risk for hypertension and vascular injury.

National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., has assigned an E. coli lawyer to investigate the St. Louis outbreak and the firm is accepting cases for a possible St. Louis E. coli lawsuit. Our legal group currently represents E. coli victims and is one of the very few law firms in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation. Free case consultations are available at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or submit your contact information online and an attorney will call you.

Source: St. Louis Post Dispatch, KTVI-Fox2

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E. coli testing in Monroe, Wisconsin, will be completed this week among student at Abe Lincoln Elementary School, where two students were hospitalized last week with infections and two others were sickened. State and local health officials have confirmed that the illnesses were caused by the same strain of E. coli O157:H7 that caused an outbreak in Green County this summer that killed one person and infected eight others.

 Epidemiologists are still looking for the root cause of the outbreak, but Green County Health Department Officer RoAnn Warden has said inadequate hand-washing after using the toilet or changing diapers has contributed to the spread of the pathogen.  

Anyone can become infected by having contact with fecal material from infected people or animals (especially cattle), or by eating contaminated food or water. Symptoms include diarrhea, which often is bloody, and severe abdominal cramps, which typically occur three to four days after exposure to the bacteria. 

While most people recover within a week, some develop a severe infection. A type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) can begin as the diarrhea is improving. This can occur among persons of any age but is most common in children under 5 years old and the elderly. Kidney failure is not the only risk of HUS. An infected person can suffer a cascading series of severe health problems that can result in paralysis, heart problems, stroke and other harms. 

An extensive study of E. coli victims over the long term has shown that even people who are not hospitalized for E. coli 0157:H7 infections can suffer vascular injury that can evolve into  hypertension, stroke, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure or structural and functional kidney impairment. Our national food safety law firm feels that any individual who has suffered gastroenteritis as a result of E..coli 0157:H7 exposure should have an annual assessment by a physician and a blood pressure measurement coupled with a urinanalysis, kidney function testing and other checks.

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One of the 14 people who became ill during the Cowans Gap E. coli outbreak remains hospitalized at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Pennsylvania, according to a story in the Chambersberg Public Opinion. The patient, a child, is being treated for hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe complication of E. coli poisoning. HUS leads to kidney failure and can cause seizures, strokes, heart failure, hypertension, pancreatitis and other life-threatening medical problems.

Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the Cowans Gap outbreak, but because all of the victims swam in the lake prior to becoming ill, the lake was closed to swimming and wading as a precautionary measure in mid-August and will remain closed for the rest of the year.

Water in Pennsylvania state park lakes and pools is tested twice weekly during the season. Since the closure, the park has added a third test each week and all results have been within the normal range, officials said.  In addition to testing samples from the lake, officials are looking at samples from the drinking water, sewer systems, rest rooms, concession stands and outside food vendors. 

Symptoms of an E. coli O157:H7 infection may include stomach cramping, mild fever, vomiting, nausea and bloody diarrhea. Health officials recommend that people who visited the park and become ill contact their health care providers.  

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Certain restaurants in Armada, Lapeer and North Branch, Michigan, received McNees Meats ground beef tainted with E. coli O157:NM -- a shiga-toxin producing type of E. coli that can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (HUS-TTP).

McNees Meats in North Branch is recalling a ton of ground beef sold to restaurants and directly to consumers from its own retail location. The product has been linked to an outbreak of E. coli O157:NM that has sickened at least five people. In addition, the ground beef is the probable cause of four other illnesses. This McNees ground beef E. coli outbreak is under investigation in Lapeer, Genesee, Isabella and Sanilac counties of Michigan. A public health alert has been issued.

The initial recall was for 360 pounds of ground beef products, but that was expanded to 2,200 pounds on August 11. The recall covers 1- and 10-pound bagged packages of “McNees Ground Beef Bulk,'' 1 to 1.5-pound packages of  "McNees Ground beef patties,'' 1-pound packages of “McNees Ground Round'' and 1 and 2-pound packages of  “McNees Ground Beef Bulk” sold in red and white plastic bags. Each product bag bears the establishment number "EST. 33971'' within the USDA mark of inspection. 

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Since June 10, when German officials concluded that sprouts from an organic  farm in the northern state of Lower Saxony were the source of the outbreak, counts of infection, HUS and E. coli death have increased by 221, 22 and five respectively, authorities have announced.

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The Tennessee E. coli outbreak that has sickened 11 people in northeast counties of the state appears to be made up of various different strains of E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 STECs. The investigation continues, but no so far no source to any of the different strains has been discovered.

STEC means shiga toxin-producing E. coli -- the group that can cause severe infection and leads to HUS E. coli in 5 percent to 10 percent of cases. Public health officials have told various news outlets that two HUS cases from Southwest Virginia -- children who were treated in a Northeast Tennessee hospital -- were of a different strain than any of the Tennessee cases. One of those children -- a 2-year-old girl from Dryden, Virginia -- tragically died.

David Kirshke, director of the Northeast Tennessee Regional Health Office, which serves Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington counties, told the Bristol Herald Courier that public health officials are still investigating and haven't given up on trying to find the various sources of the poisonings. Eleven cases of E. coli are typically more cases than Northeast Tennessee sees in an entire year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta is assisting in the investigation.

Meanwhile, public health reminders are abounding in the region -- including advice to restaurants and home cooks to heat all ground beef products to 160 degrees throughout to kill potential bacteria. E. coli O157:H7 and other STECs originate in the guts of cattle and other animals. The organisms are expelled in feces and become impacted on animal hides. From there the microbes can flake onto meat in the slaughtering process, or E. coli can spread from nicked intestines.

The federal government has banned E. coli O157:H7, in particular, from ground beef and cuts of beef intended for grinding. Despite private and government testing regimes, ground beef E. coli outbreaks still occur and lead to E. coli lawsuits to hold meatpackers accountable for selling product with potentially lethal pathogens.

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The Northeast Tennessee E. coli outbreak has grown to include an 11th victim as health officials continue to search for the source of the outbreak, the Sullivan County Regional Health Department said in a press release.

The outbreak in eight northeast Tennessee counties may soon include three more cases pending test results. All of those illnesses are in addition to two severe infections to children from Southwest Virginia. Tragically, a 2-year-old girl died and was confirmed to be infected with E. coli O157:H7, possibly from food.

Officials are reminding families in the region that E. coli O157:H7 is found in ground beef and other meat and can survive grilling or cooking if not cooked to an internal temperature of 160 F. Officials have also said some infections can be caused by swimming in contaminated waters and inadvertently swallowing the water. E. coli O157:H7 also can contaminate raw milk, many varieties of fresh produce, shelled nuts, cheese and other food.

National E. coli lawyers at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., are investigating the outbreak and accepting cases from families and individuals who have been afflicted. If you or a loved one has experienced sharp stomach pain and watery or bloody diarrhea as part of a gastrointestinal illness, immediately see a physician. For answers to legal questions, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or send contact information. An E. coli lawyer will call you.

E. coli O157:H7 is a strain of bacteria that produces a toxin that can cause hemorrhagic colitis. This illness can develop into an extremely serious condition known as HUS, or  hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can cause kidney failure, brain damage, strokes, and seizures in young children and the elderly. E. coli O157:H7 has caused numerous sporadic cases as well as outbreaks of foodborne disease resulting in illnesses and deaths. This pathogen can survive both refrigerator and freezer storage.  

Here is the official notice from Sullivan County, dated June 7:

"To date, 11 cases of E.coli have been reported in our region...one of which is in Sullivan County. The source of the bacteria has not been identified and our staff is working closely with the Northeast Regional Health Office in Johnson City to investigate the source of illness. PLEASE NOTE...The cases in our region ARE NOT related to the outbreak in Germany.''

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E. coli in bean sprouts may be the cause of Germany's massive outbreak of  E. coli O104:H4, according to the latest from the investigation by public health officials. A variety of media reports say the sprouts appear to have come from a grower in northern Germany -- the center of the outbreak.

While testing is under way to confirm the cause, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control is reporting 658 cases of HUS, or hemolytic uremic sydrome, and 1605 non-HUS Shiga toxin E. coli cases.   Twenty-two people have died in the outbreak.

While HUS is predominantly observed in children under 5 years of age, in this outbreak the great majority of cases are adults, with more than two thirds being women, The agency said most case patients have a history of travel to the North of Germany (mainly Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, North-Rhine-Westphalia and Hamburg). Within the EU also Denmark, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom have reported cases of HUS, related to the ongoing outbreak as well as cases of non-HUS STEC cases. 

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The HUS E. coli outbreak centered in Germany has infected at least four Americans who were traveling there and two U.S. military men in Germany have been tested for the outbreak strain of E. coli O104:H4.

According to the World Health Organization, the total case count has grown to 1,823, which includes 552 cases of life-threatening HUS, or hemolytic uremic syndrome. At least 18 individuals have died and the unprecedented outbreak remains very active. The vast majority of illnesses have been in Germany.

At a press conference in the U.S., Chris Braden of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the CDC has no reason to believe and no expectation that the outbreak will spread in the United States. Of the four travelers who were sickened, three remained hospitalized with HUS -- a complication of E. coli infection that causes kidney failures, coma, stroke, anemia, vascular injury and other severe medical difficulties by attacking a person's red blood cells and fragmenting them. The three HUS case patients are from Massachusetts, Michigan and Wisconsin.

The source of the outbreak remained unknown, but the focus has been on salad ingredients including cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes. The Food and Drug Administration says very little produce for salads is imported from Spain and Germany, but inspectors will test any shipments for E. coli before they reach America.

Meanwhile, the CDC will continue to monitor the European E. coli outbreak. The effort includes surveillance of medical cases where an American has become sick with HUS or other diarrheal illness caused by Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. after traveling to Europe since April 1, 2011. 

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The German E. coli outbreak  that has killed 16 people and caused nearly 400 cases of  HUS, or hemolytic uremic syndrome, involves a stain of the pathogen that has not been seen in the United States.

Robert Tauxe, a foodborne disease expert at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),  told The Associated Press that it is extraordinary to see so many cases of HUS from a foodborne illness outbreak. "There has not been such an outbreak before that we know of in the history of public health," Tauxe told the AP. Officials are frantically searching for a cause, but the number of new cases has dropped off.

The CDC's Tauxe said two people from the U.S. are among more than 1,150 people in total who have been  sickened in the outbreak, which was initially thought to be caused by contaminated cucumbers but now is undetermined. The two U.S. victims had recently traveled to Hamburg, where the outbreak started several weeks ago.

The outbreak also has infected people in other European countries, including Denmark, France, the Czech Republic, the U.K., the Netherlands and Switzerland.

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Two children from Tennesse have been treated at Vanderbilt University hospitals in Nashville for serious E. coli infections and the Tennessee Department of Health has been notified of eight E. coli cases statewide so far this year.

State Health Department spokeswoman Shelley L. Walker told the Marshall County Tribune in Lewisburg, Tennessee, that the office has been notified of two E. coli infections in residents of South Central Tennessee, but it was not immediately clear if the two cases were the children treated at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt Children's Hospital.

"There is no evidence to suggest at this time that there is an ongoing outbreak in that region,'' Walker told the newspaper.

A pharmacist who asked not to be named was the source of the newspaper's information on the two Tennessee child E. coli cases. The father of one of the children called the newspaper to say his daughter was recovering, but declined to say more. The Marshall County newspaper story said health officials conducted food history interviews to investigate any possible common source of the infections.

The pharmacist said one of the children received kidney dialysis treatment, an indicator that she may have suffered from hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a potentially deadly disease caused by powerful Shiga toxins emitted by certain types of E. coli, including E. coli O157:H7.

Children under age 5 are most susceptible to HUS, but it can affect people of any age, including healthy adults. Most people infected with E. coli O157:H7 develop diarrhea (often bloody) and abdominal cramps 2-8 days (3-4 days, on average) after swallowing the organism, but some illnesses last longer and are more severe. Infection is usually diagnosed by stool sample culture.

Signs and symptoms of HUS may include: fever, abdominal pain, pale skin tone, fatigue and irritability, small, unexplained bruises or bleeding from the nose and mouth, decreased urination and swelling of the face, hands, feet, or entire body. Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care.

To have an E. coli attorney at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., review your case, please submit a contact form or call our office at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). Our investigators are aware of the Tennessee cases and are monitoring reports of a possible outbreak. PritzkerOlsen is a national leader in foodborne illness law and is one of the very few legal groups practicing extensively in this area. Over the years we have won millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning and we are actively involved in efforts to prevent outbreaks and protect families from contamination of our food supply.

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E. coli outbreak researchers at Michigan State University will study strategies to reduce the amount of E. coli released by cattle under a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The hope is that a reduction in E. coli O157:H7 will correspond with a decrease in the number of foodborne illnesses in humans.

The intestines of cattle are the primary reservoir for E. coli O157:H7 bacteria and other types of E. coli that emit powerful Shiga toxin once ingested by humans. The animals shed the bacteria in feces and it can contaminate butchered meat and many other foods depending on circumstances. Michigan State said in a press release that molecular biologist and epidemiologist Shannon Manning will lead the multi-disciplinary shedding study.

Part of the research goal is to better understand shedding of E. coli from Michigan cattle and dairy cows with the goal of enhancing detection methods and control strategies. Maybe there are farming practices that could reduce colonization of the microbes inside the animals. The research team expects to develop new ideas for direct-fed antimicrobials, vaccines, therapies and other control strategies that can reduce the frequency and level of Shiga toxin E. coli shedding.   

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Ever since USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong exposed as superficial our nation's  testing methodology to find E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef, we realize more and more the need to improve our defense against this very dangerous pathogen.

Fong delivered a report last month that showed the USDA's method for test-sampling cuts of beef meant for ground beef  --  beef trim -- is an insufficient screen to keep the bacteria out of hamburger -- which is still the most likely vector to cause multi-state outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 poisoning. In 5 to 15 percent of these infections, the organism causes life-threatening hemoloytic uremic syndrome (HUS) or thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).  Children under 5 are most susceptible to HUS, which is the leading cause of E. coli death and can ravage any person of any age with a cascade of medical problems starting with kidney failure.

The Center for Public Integrity, a non-profit organization committed to investigative journalism, helped bring Fong's concerns to life with the following, reader-friendly description of the problem. The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will be in charge of fixing it. Here's the Center for Public Integrity's take, with a few practical edits:

"Most of the ground beef consumed domestically is made of beef trim, the various bits left on a carcass after the choice cuts have been butchered. A device similar to a carrot peeler is used to slice roughly 4-inch pieces of trim off the cow, which are stacked into large bins, and sent off for testing before being ground. Under the current N-60 method, inspectors test 60 of these slices for E. coli. The process is overseen by the (FSIS).

Fong warned that, in situations where E. coli is present in 1 percent of the inspected bin, the current screening method would miss it over half the time. Or, as the report puts it, “if the contamination level is very low, FSIS is more likely to miss contamination than to detect it.” 

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An HUS E. coli death in Jasper County, Missouri, is under investigation by public health officials who say the victim was one of 11 people who fell sick at a family gathering over Thanksgiving weekened.

The Jasper County Health Department has collected leftover food  from the family event as part of the effort to determine the cause of the E. coli outbreak. Health Department Director Tony Moehr told reporter John Hacker of the Carthage Press that he believes the outbreak is isolated to those exposed at the family event. Names of the victims, including the HUS E. coli  patient who died, have not been released out of respect for the family's privacy. 

HUS, or hemolytic uremic syndrome, is a life-threatening condition in which the body’s blood-clotting mechanisms are altered, causing blocked circulation or bleeding in the brain or kidneys. Kidney failure is a common result. Once an infection has been established, no therapeutic interventions are available to lessen the risk of the course that HUS will take. Across the United States, HUS E. coli kills about 80 people a year.

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Food safety inspectors for the state of Idaho were inspecting a prison south of Boise for evidence of E. coli bacteria in the wake of an outbreak of serious food poisoning, the Associated Press is reporting.

The story said five individuals at the privately run Idaho Correctional Center became sick around December 1. Tests from at least two of the victims identified a toxin associated with E. coli bacteria that can cause serious illness. Sarah Correll, staff epidemiologist at Idaho's Central District Health Department, said in the AP story that no new cases have been discovered and the inmates who were sickened are recovering.

The state inspectors were at the prison doing both food and water inspections, the story said.

Many types of E. coli release a powerful toxin--called a "verotoxin" or a "Shiga toxin"--that attacks the lining of the intestine. The most prominent Shiga toxin E. coli type is 0157:H7.  In most cases of  E. coli O157:H7, severe abdominal cramps are followed by watery, then bloody, diarrhea that subsides within a week or so. In 5 to 15 percent of reported E. coli O157:H7 infections, the Shiga toxins enter the bloodstream, causing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which often leads to kidney failure and also can lead to anemia, internal bleeding, central nervous system disruption and stroke. HUS is the leading cause of E. coli deaths. 

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Huron County, Michigan, E. coli outbreak has developed recently with three confirmed illnesses and a fourth individual who is awaiting laboratory tests. A fifth person suspected of E. coli 0157:H7 infection tested negative for the pathogen.

According to the Huron County Health Department, three of the case patients are hospitalized, raising the possibility that one or more has developed life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). On average, five to 15 percent of people infected with E. coli 0157:H7 develops HUS or thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).

The Huron Daily Tribune quoted the county's health services director, Cindy Rochefort, as saying the cause of the outbreak has not been determined. As the public health investigation continues, area physicians and medical institutions have been alerted to look for HUS E. coli symptoms.

Law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., currently represents HUS victims and is investigating the Huron E. coli outbreak. If you or a loved one lives in the area of the outbreak or has eaten recently at a restaurant in the county and believe you may have developed an E. coli infection, seek medical care immediately. For answers to legal questions about HUS litigation and compensation, call 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.We understand the long-term nature of medical issues surrounding HUS and the implications of current and future pain and suffering for victims and their families.

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A Wisconsin petting zoo may be the source of hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, for the 18-month-old daughter of a couple from Lomira, Wisconsin.

The child is battling a life-threatening HUS condition, including full HUS kidney failure, and she is expected to remain hospitalized for several weeks at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

Greg Kottke. the toddler's father, told The Northwestern newspaper from Oshkosh that his family wants all parents to know what can happen with E. coli and the signs to watch out for. HUS develops in five to 15 percent of people who contract shiga toxin-producing E. coli -- mostly E. coli 0157:H7 -- and children under 5 are the most susceptible of any age group.

The newspaper story said the parents believe their daughter is yet another victim of a petting zoo E. coli infection. County fair petting zoos and other animal exhibits present a child HUS risk and operators of these events know the risk and have industry guidelines to follow to prevent infection.

Still, some event managers do not comply fully with HUS prevention standards -- including guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- and tragedies occur.

The daughter of Greg Kottke and Julie Lambrecht developed a low-grade fever about five days after visiting the petting zoo on July 25. When she developed bloody diarrhea, they rushed her to the emergency room at St. Agnes Hospital.

"They couldn't find anything really wrong, so we took her home,'' Kottke said.

The next day they brough her to see her pediatrician and she was admitted to the hospital because she was dehydrated. When her kidneys failed, she was transported to the hospital in Milwaukee.

She remains on dialysis and has been receiving blood transfusions.

"She's a doll, a beautiful little girl, the highlight of my days," Kottke said of his daughter. The family still has hope she will have a full recovery but it is a long waiting game. 

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Ground beef E. coli outbreaks continue to occur in the United States despite advances in the ability to detect and identify the sources of E. coli O157:H7 contamination.

Because an estimated 20 ground beef E. coli illness occur for every one that is reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the problem is bigger than most of us think.

Traditionally, summer months are considered high season for ground beef E. coli outbreaks, partly because cattle shed more of these pathogens when the days are long. Meat packers take steps to prevent contamination and they test for the bacteria because it is outlawed in ground beef. But the system is far from fail-proof.

In addition, consumers struggle more in warmer months to keep their ground beef out of the "Danger Zone" — temperatures between 40 and 140 °F. In that range, bacteria can cluster and multiply quickly.

E. coli O157:H7 bacteria survive refrigerator and freezer temperature and most scientists believe it takes only a small number of the organisms to cause serious illness and even death, especially in children.

Consumers can protect themselves by ensuring ground beef is cooked to at least 160 degrees, but most people don't use a meat thermometer when they are grilling hamburgers. Just remember that color is NOT a reliable indicator that ground beef or ground beef patties have been cooked to a temperature high enough to kill E coli. 

In 2009, according to a review of federal records by  law firm Pritzker Olsen, more than 1 million pounds of ground beef and beef cuts intended for grinding were recalled from market by USDA-inspected slaughter plants and processors.

One of the largest recalls covered 545,699 pounds of E. coli-contaminated ground beef produced by Fairbank Farms of Ashville, N.Y. The CDC linked the ground beef to 26 E. coli infections in eight states.  Our law firm is representing a young child who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) after consuming Fairbank Farms beef.

Pritzker Olsen is a national leader in ground beef E. coli litigation and we have collected millions for victims of E. coli O157:H7 poisoning, including those with HUS. To contact a ground beef E. coli lawyer at our firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or fill out the contact form on the side of this Web page.  We provide free case consultations and can explain how you owe us nothing until we win your case.

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A state health official is worried that the illness count in Minnesota's raw milk E. coli outbreak could increase as investigators continue to probe the outbreak's association with raw milk from the Hartmann Dairy Farm, also known as M.O.M.'s.

The Star Tribune reported that state officials have little doubt that the Gibbon, Minnesota, dairy farm produced the raw milk containing  E. coli O157:H7. The Department of Health announced Wednesday that four E. coli infections are considered to be part of the outbreak because they have matching genetic fingerprints.

Three of the four were hospitalized, including a toddler who developed life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

"I am concerned that we are going to hear about more cases,"  Dr. Kirk Smith, supervisor of state Health Department foodborne disease investigations, told the Star Tribune. It often takes up to two weeks for cases to surface, he added.

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The student is one of at least 12 individuals hospitalized  in a romaine lettuce outbreak that has sickened at least 23 individuals in Ohio, Michigan, New York and now Tennessee. She also is one of three who have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening disease that can cause kidney failure, central nervous system damage, bleeding in the brain, pancreatitis and other serious medical conditions.

Fred Pritzker, founder and president of Pritzker Olsen, said in a press release today that any E. coli strain that produces the toxin that causes injury or death in humans, including O145, should be declared an adulterant and regulated by federal and state agencies. 

“Our client’s HUS is no less devastating because it came from O145 rather than O157,'' Pritzker said. 

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National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys is continuing to fight for the release of a detailed and complete accounting of which restaurants in the United States received beef products from National Steak and Poultry that were potentially contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

The Oklahoma meat processor recently recalled 248,000 pounds of steak, beef tips, medallions, boneless trim and other beef products after health officials determined there was an “association” between blade tenderized steaks and an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses in six states. Days later the company announced that the recalled meat was sold primarily to three companies with restaurants in Michigan, Iowa, Colorado, South Dakota, Kansas and Washington -- the same six states that are home to the steak E. coli outbreak.

The three named recipients are Moe’s Southwest Grill, Carino’s Italian Grill and KRM restaurants, parent company of the 54th Street Grill & Bar chain.

As we have stated previously, announcing a recall without promptly identifying the public purveyors of the adulterated product is ludicrous and unsafe. It’s the equivalent of announcing a recall of flammable pajamas without identifying the brand and where they were sold. Consumers cannot protect themselves if they have no information about the source that threatens their safety. This is a failure of regulation and food ethics and it raises questions about whether our food safety agencies are more interested in protecting producers of unsafe products or safeguarding the public’s health.

But this may be only part of the story. National Steak and Poultry claims the implicated steaks were primarily sold to only three restaurant companies. Yet the company states on its web site that “As beef and poultry marination innovators since 1980, NSP has proved the popularity and profitability of our marinated, pre-portioned beef and poultry – both cooked and fresh frozen – at some of America’s best known chains.”

What about those chains? What about the tons of similar products the company sells to companies far bigger and more familiar than Moe’s, Carino’s and KRM restaurants? Did “some of America’s best known chains” also receive adulterated product from NSP? If so, why haven’t those companies been named?

Let’s hope the implicated product is limited to those three companies. Meanwhile, USDA has yet to publish the retail distribution list for this outbreak and recall -- a disclosure that is customary in major events. Why not this one? An official with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been quoted by the Tulsa World newspaper as saying at least 19 people have been sickened.

If you have information about this outbreak or wish to speak to an E. coli lawyer about a victim's legal rights, call Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our contact and information form on the side of this web page. We were the first food safety organization to publicly announce that officials were investigating an E. coli outbreak linked to mechanically tenderized steaks and we have been in contact with at least one potential victim.

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Abby Fenstermaker was a healthy and happy little girl from the Cleveland area who turned 7 years old on April 25.

Less than four weeks later, she was dead from complications of an E. coli O157:H7 infection that may have come from hamburger contaminated by the manufacturer. 

Friends and family of Abby's parents have begun a memorial fund in her name to collect at least $10,000 to help pay for a flood of bills. Anyone can contribute and a community event is scheduled this coming Friday, May 29, at The Clevelander Bar and Restaurant. 

In loving memory, a night for Abby. The number to call to offer your help is 216-832-6178.

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A 7-year-old girl from southeastern Iowa and a 5-year-old boy from neighboring Illinois have been hospitalized with complications from E. coli 0157:H7.

The two children are among four people in the area who have confirmed cases of E. coli infection. Health officials in both states have not determined the source of the illnesses.

The Hawk Eye newspaper reported Friday that the two hospitalized children have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, a complication that can lead to kidney failure, stroke, seizures and death. Both children at the University of Iowa Children's Hospital have undergone kidney dialysis and received blood transfusions since being admitted during the second week of October, the newspaper reported.

The boy is from Basco, Ill., and the girl is from Mount Pleasant, Iowa. According to the newspaper, they both came down with their initial symptoms on Oct. 7.

Patricia Quinlisk, medical director for the Iowa Department of Public Health, told The Hawk Eye that no business or entities have been asked to close down in association with the four confirmed cases of E. coli.

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