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

Pritzker Olsen client Emily Grabowski was featured in a May 27, 2010 New York Times article about the E. coli O145 outbreak involving fresh romaine lettuce from Freshway Foods, Sidney, Ohio.

Ms. Grabowski, a college freshman in New York, is one of 26 confirmed and 7 probable cases related to this outbreak. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

As of May 20, 2010, a total of 26 confirmed and 7 probable cases related to this outbreak have been reported from 5 states since March 1, 2010. The number of ill persons identified in each state with this strain is: MI (11 confirmed and 2 probable), NY (5 confirmed and 2 probable), OH (8 confirmed and 3 probable), PA (1 confirmed), and TN (1 confirmed). The reported cases in Tennessee and Pennsylvania do not reflect expansion of the outbreak but retrospective identification of cases using the PulseNet system – these cases are part of the original cluster due to the original implicated lot of lettuce from March.

As a result of her E. coli O145 illness, Ms. Grabowski developed Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), a potentially lethal condition known to cause severe kidney damage, neurologic deficits and hypertension.

This outbreak, another one involving leafy green vegetables, points to the need for significant regulation of an industry responsible for repeated outbreaks.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its final report on the outbreak on May 21, but so far refused to identify the farm at which the implicated romaine lettuce was grown.

Pritzker Olsen, a national food safety law firm, represents a number of people from this outbreak and is involved in virtually all major outbreaks of foodborne illness.

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Several school students in Wappingers Falls, New York, are believed to be among those sickened in the E. coli O145 outbreak linked to Freshway Foods shredded Romaine lettuce.

District Superintendent James Parla told the Poughkeepsie Journal that there were two confirmed cases of E. coli, three probable cases and one suspected case. The students go to Roy C. Ketcham High School, John Jay High School, Wappingers Junior High School and Van Wyck Middle School.

Michael Caldwell, the Dutchess County health commissioner, said an initial stool sample from one of the children who was sick seemed to link it to the larger outbreak. In addition, a Freshway Foods lettuce sample from the school tested positive for E. coli.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Freshway Foods lettuce E. coli outbreak currently involves 19 confirmed illnesses and 10 probable illnesses in New York, Ohio and Michigan since March 1. Three of the victims have suffered life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and investigators believe the contaminated lettuce originated on a farm in Yuma, Arizona at the end of the winter lettuce season.

The bacterium in this outbreak is E. coli O145 -- which often goes undetected because testing for this type of E. coli is not widely practiced. It is one of the six most common non-O157 types of E. coli and emits the same powerful and destructive toxin -- Shiga toxin -- that comes from E. coli O157:H7.

The problem at Wappingers Falls started last month when several school children reported diarrheal illness. Previously it was known that students from Ohio State University, University of Michigan and Daemen College of Amherst, New York, were involved in the outbreak.

The link to shredded lettuce was announced Thursday when Sidney, Ohio,-based Freshway Foods announced a recall of Romaine lettuce in 23 states and Washington, D.C. A New York state laboratory in Albany found the outbreak strain of E. coli O145 in a previously unopened bag of shredded Romaine lettuce from Freshway Foods that had been sold to a foodservice establishment where at least one person is believed to have gotten sick.

If you or a loved one have been sickened in this outbreak, contact law firm Pritzker Olsen for free answers to your legal questions at 1-888-377-8900. For a free consultation online, complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.

Pritzker Olsen is a national leader in foodborne illness litigation and we have collected tens of millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning over the years. We are involved in practically every major outbreak of foodborne illness representing victims.

In the Freshway Foods case, we have been in contact with public health professionals who are working on the outbreak. In addition, we are conducting our own investigation to determine how potentially deadly disease-causing organisms made their way to people's food trays in an undeniable cluster.

Note to consumers: This outbreak is apparently not related to packaged Romaine lettuce sold in grocery aisles. It was distributed to foodservice accounts including cafeterias, delis, restaurants and grab-and-go salad bars inside grocery stores. The recall involves Freshway Foods lettuce marked with a sell-by date of May 12 and sold under the Freshway brand or the Imperial Sysco brand.

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Multiple lines of evidence have been used to confirm Freshway Foods shredded Romaine lettuce as the cause of an E. coli O145 outbreak that has sickened at least 19 people in Ohio, Michigan and New York.

The Food and Drug Administration press release on the lettuce E. coli outbreak said 12 of the victims were hospitalized and three contracted hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening disease that commonly results in kidney failure and can cause heart problems, stroke, brain injury and paralysis.

A key breakthrough in the investigation occurred yesterday when epidemiologists at the New York state laboratory in Albany confirmed the presence of E. coli O145 in a previously unopened bag of Freshway Foods shredded Romaine lettuce.

The FDA says all of the contaminated lettuce recalled by Sidney, Ohio,-based Freshway Foods in connection with the lettuce outbreak came from the same production facility. The agency is still investigating the actual source of contamination at the facility and it is working with Freshway Foods to track distribution of contaminated lettuce.

In Michigan, Washtenaw County Public Health announced that it has 10 confirmed cases as part of the outbreak. Three other illnesses in Michigan remain under investigation. The three-state Freshway lettuce outbreak involved students at Ohio State University in Columbus, University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and Daemen College in Amherst, New York. All of the illnesses in Michigan occurred between April 9-16.

In a note to consumers, the FDA says Freshway Foods lettuce with use-by dates after May 12 are not involved in the recall; nor are any other brands of Romaine lettuce.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen is conducting its own investigation of the outbreak and is accepting cases to represent victims in Freshway Foods litigation. To contact an E. coli lawyer at the firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.

As one of the country's leading practitioners of foodborne illness litigation, we have represented victims in nearly every major outbreak of food poisoning. We understand the suffering that families endure when loved ones are seriously injured or killed from bacterial infections caused by contaminated food.

For instance, just this week we heard from client Randy Napier of Ohio. Nellie Napier, his mother, was one of nine people to die in the Peanut Corp. of America Salmonella outbreak early last year. Pritzker Olsen is representing three of those families.

To get a sense of the despair and harm caused by severe foodborne illness, read Randy's moving tribute posted recently on the Daily Kos blog.

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State, local and federal health authorities are getting close to producing a questionnaire in an attempt to pinpoint the food causing a three-state outbreak of E. coli O145 in central Ohio; Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Erie County, New York.

An updated message from Columbus Public Health says the epidemiological questionnaire will compare people who were sickened with others who ate at the same places and did not get sick.

"This type of study can make for strong evidence as to what made people sick, even if laboratory tests of food samples do not reveal anything. The investigation is expected to take several weeks,'' the agency said.

In Ohio, no new E. coli O145 cases have been found since April 20 so they believe people may have eaten the tainted food sometime between April 1 and April 20. Investigators do not believe all of the cases are related to one particular restaurant or place, but a group of places that may have all received food from the same distributor.

One of the common denominators in the Ohio, Michigan, New York E. coli outbreak is that university students have been among the victims at Ohio State University, University of Michigan and Daemen College in Amherst, New York.

Columbus Public Health said in its latest message on the outbreak that investigators are actively seeking to talk to anyone in the areas of the outbreak who became sick after April 1 with E. coli symptoms of diarrhea and severe stomach cramping.

And while officials previously have only described the bacteria as non-O157 E. coli, they now have confirmed it is E. coli O145 -- one of six non-O157 types that emit Shiga toxin.

Together in the three states, around 60 cases of illness are considered to be part of the outbreak.

As the public investigation continues, law firm Pritzker Olsen is building its own files on the outbreak and is interested in talking to victims. We are in touch with some of the investigating agencies and also believe a common foodservice distributor or foodservice item is behind the outbreak.

To receive a free case consultation, call an E. coli lawyer at our firm at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page. 

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Business Wire has released the following press release in connection with the  E. coli O145 outbreak affecting university students and faculty in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Columbus, Ohio and Amherst, New York.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen has learned that ground beef is not high on the list of foods suspected of causing an outbreak of E. coli O145 in Michigan, Ohio and New York, where approximately 50 university students and other people are believed to be infected.

Health investigators are looking for a cause that likely comes from a shared foodservice supplier or foodservice item at Ohio State University, University of Michigan and Daemen College, said Fred Pritzker, founder and president of the firm.

But regardless of what food ultimately is confirmed as the cause, Pritzker Olsen is calling on USDA to immediately take steps to broaden E. coli protections where beef is slaughtered and processed. Contaminated ground beef is currently the most common source of E. coli infection.

E. coli O157:H7 is the single most prevalent type of E. coli in U.S. food poisoning cases. As such, it was declared an adulterant in ground beef in 1994, making tainted ground beef illegal to sell and requiring industry to test for the pathogen.

But in 16 years since then, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has failed to put adulterant labels on six additional strains of shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC); E. coli O145, 045, 0121, 0103, 026 and O111.  In addition, the agency has not acted on a public petition to deem all beef products adulterated if contaminated with E. coli organisms -- not just ground beef and cuts intended for ground beef as regulations now state.

Pritzker said the university outbreak of E. coli O145 is a powerful reminder that it's time for the USDA to take a major step forward in keeping potentially deadly E. coli forms out of the U.S. beef supply.

"Non-O157 STECs are every bit as hazardous as E. coli O157:H7 and they all need to be regulated,'' said Pritzker, whose many current food poisoning clients include a survivor of E. coli O111.  "Another public health disaster shouldn't be required in order for change to take place.''

The CDC estimates that non-0157 STECs cause 36,700 illnesses, 1,100 hospitalizations and 30 deaths in America each year. These strains can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), kidney failure, and E. coli death, just like the O157 strain.

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).

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The common demoninator in the multi-state outbreak of E. coli O145 in Ohio, Michigan and New York is university students.

Nearly 50 people have confirmed or suspected illnesses that began to occur in early- to mid-April around the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and Ohio State University in Columbus. New York has one confirmed E. coli O145 illness matching the outbreak strain and 11 other suspected cases.

Food safety microbiologist Phyllis Entis is reporting that the New York outbreak has a connection to Daemen College, a private nonsectarian liberal arts school in Amherst, New York, near Buffalo.

A university E. coli outbreak obviously points to a shared foodservice supplier or shared foodservice item, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not announced a cause for the outbreak. Various food samples are being tested, but it is not known if meat, leafy green vegetables or some processed food item is contaminated with the bacteria.

National food safety law firm Pritker Olsen is actively investigating this outbreak. It is not too early to contact anE. coli lawyer at our law firm for a free consultation regarding your legal rights: 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) or complete the online consultation form on the side of this Web page. We are not paid unless you win.

Our firm has been in contact with investigating agencies and we have years of experience protecting the legal rights of victims of food poisoning. E. coli O147 is a cousin to the better known pathogen E. coli O157:H7 and its is equally dangerous in terms of emitting a toxin that can wreak havoc once consumed by humans.

If you or a loved one has had recent symptoms of bloody diarrhea, painful stomach cramps and fever, contact a physician immediately. In five to 15 percent of cases, infections develop into life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)  with effects ranging from kidney failure to brain damage and paralysis. 

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E. coli O145 has sickened dozens of people in Michigan, Ohio and now New York.

Health officials have not released much information, but this is what is being reported by health departments and news sources:

• E. coli O145 cases in Michigan, Ohio and New York have been genetically linked, meaning the same food source probably made these people sick;
• The Ohio Department of Agriculture is testing four food samples and food items also are being tested in Michigan;
• Ground beef is not highly suspected in Michigan;
• Students at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan are among those sickened in the outbreak;
• The food that was contaminated with E. coli O145 was most likely served at restaurants, cafeterias and other eating establishments.

Pritzker Olsen law firm is actively investigating this outbreak. Even though the food source of this outbreak has not been determined, it is not too early to contact an E. coli lawyer at our law firm for a free consultation regarding your legal rights: 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) or submit our online consultation form.  We are not paid unless you win.

We have recently settled an E. coli case in Michigan and are litigating E. coli cases in Ohio.  Read about a Michigan E. coli lawsuit and an Ohio E. coli lawsuit.

Keywords: E. coli O145 outbreak, Ann Arbor, Michigan, lawyer, Columbus, Ohio, attorney, Ohio State University, University of Michigan, Buffalo, New York, food poisoning, lawsuit, Ecoli 0145.

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The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has identified Aunt Mid’s Produce Company as the distributor of iceberg lettuce consumed by six Illinois residents during late August to mid-September who have been diagnosed with E coli 0157.

The Michigan Department of Community Health has also identified Aunt Mid’s Produce Company as one of the wholesale processors who sold institutional-sized iceberg lettuce to establishments which served 26 people who were diagnosed with the same strain of E coli.

IDPH is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laboratory to test persons suspected of being linked to this Illinois E. coli outbreak and to trace-back where the lettuce came from. Aunt Mid’s Produce Company has voluntarily suspended any processing and sale of its iceberg lettuce product line throughout the United States.

For information on the legal rights of E. coli victims, distributor liability and an Aunt Mid's lawsuit, please contact our law firm at 1-888-377-8900 or email attorney Fred Pritzker.

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