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

The cantaloupe listeriosis outbreak has widened its reach into Nebraska, New Mexico, Colorado and Texas, according to reports from state health departments.

Nebraska health officials reported on September 23, that a man in his eighties from western Nebraska was the state’s first fatality of the outbreak which began in mid-August. “Analysis shows that the strains of Listeria that are being investigated in Colorado match the one identified with this individual,” said Dr. Joann Schaefer, Chief Medical Officer and Director of the Division of Public Health in a press release. Including this death Nebraska now has six confirmed cases of listeriosis associated with this outbreak.

New Mexico health officials are reporting 10 cases of listeriosis confirmed as part of the outbreak, four of whom have died. Three additional cases are under investigation, one of those people has died.

In Texas, a third person from Dallas County was diagnosed with listeriosis linked to the outbreak, according to a KERA television report.

Colorado cases confirmed as part of the outbreak increased from 14 to 15 this week, according to the Denver Post. Two people from Colorado have died.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Friday that tainted cantaloupes were shipped to more states than originally thought. States that received shipments of potentially tainted cantaloupe from July 29 through September 10, 2011 include: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.

Sources:
http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/newsroom/newsreleases/2011/Sept/listeria2.htm

http://www.health.state.nm.us/

http://www.kdheks.gov/news/web_archives/2011/09222011a.htm
 

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The Nebraska Canataloupe Listeria Outbreak may be to blame for two individuals in Douglas County coming down with symptoms of Listeriosis, adding to one confirmed outbreak case in the state previously reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Listeria attorney Fred Pritzker has won numerous settlements, including more than $6 million for clients in a Listeria food poisoning case that involved the wrongful deaths of an elderly man and unborn babies. He has a national practice and is available for a free consultation regarding a cantaloupe lawsuit. 

Nebraska is one of seven states identified by the CDC as part of the outbreak that began August 15. It neighbors Colorado, home of Jensen Farms near the Rocky Ford cantaloupe region in the southern portion of the state. The CDC has linked the multi-state Listeria outbreak to "sweet Rocky Fords'' from Jensen and state health officials have conflirmed the link with laboratory testing.

Nebraska.TV reported that Safeway stores across the state have pulled Jensen Farms cantaloupes as part of a recall announced by the FDA. Even after the recall, health officials are warning consumers to be aware that listeriosis symptoms can develop more than a week after a person eats contaminated cantaloupe. Symptoms include flu-like fever and muscle aches, uppset stomach or diarrhea, stiff neck, headache, loss of balance, confusion or convulsions. Pregnant women are at high risk and may only experience mild flu-like symptoms.

 Consumers who experience these Listeria symptoms should immediately see a doctor. For legal help, call Pritzker and his Listeria law team at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or submit contact information online.

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Over the last four decades, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has never had a documented listeriosis outbreak linked to cantaloupe, until now. The cantaloupe listeriosis outbreak which began in Colorado and has spread to Texas and Nebraska, may be the first of its kind.

Researchers who reviewed all 28 cantaloupe-associated outbreaks that were reported to the CDC between 1973 and 2003 found that four pathogens were responsible for all of them: Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. Coli and Norovirus, according to a 2005 study published by researchers at the CDC and the University of Georgia. The same is true for eight of the nine cantaloupe-associated outbreaks since 2003. Only the current outbreak is related to Listeria.

“Compared with most other foodborne pathogens, listeriosis is rare and very dangerous. In the United States, an estimated 1,600 people become seriously ill with listeriosis each year. Of these, 260 die,” said Fred Pritzker, a nationally recognized Listeria lawyer.

Listeriosis is a rare, potentially fatal infection caused by the foodborne pathogen Listeria. At particulcar risk are the elderly, the immunocompromised and pregnant women, who are 20 times more likely to get listeriosis than other healthy adults.

The foods most often cited as potential risks are: uncooked meats or vegetables, smoked fish, hot dogs, deli meats, meat spreads, pates and unpasteurized soft cheeses. 

Onset of symptoms for the more mild form of listeriosis usually begin within a day after eating contaminated food. But the incubation period for the more serious form of the disease is generally much longer - up to 90 days after exposure

Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, headache, stiff neck, confusion and convulsions. These symptoms can be followed by septicemia (blood poisoning) or meningitis, both of which can be fatal. For pregnant women, listeriosis can result in miscarriage, stillbirth or the birth of a baby with serious illness.

The Listeria experts at PritzkerOlsen, P.A. have been involved in every major Listeria outbreak in the country. If you have legal questions about a listeriosis illness, contact them toll-free at (888-377-8900).

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Now additional work must be done with assistance from federal agencies to trace where the contaminated melon is coming from. "The information should be released as quickly as humanly possible to protect others from contracting this dangerous disease,'' said Pritzker, founder and president of Pritzker Olsen Attorneys.

"The system must put consumers first,'' Pritzker said in a news release.

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A cantaloupe Listeria outbreak like the one now spreading through Colorado, Nebraska and Texas, is uncommon but not surprising, according to foodborne illness expert Fred Pritzker.

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria found in soil and water. Listeriosis outbreaks often involve ready-to eat meats, deli meats, hot dogs, unpasteurized soft cheeses, and smoked seafood. However, fresh, uncooked produce can also be a source.

“The pathogen has been detected in a number of fresh market produce items including cabbage, cucumbers, potatoes, celery and radishes among others. Moreover, cantaloupes have repeatedly been implicated in outbreaks involving Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7 and Norovirus,” said Pritzker, founder and president of PritzkerOlsen P.A.

The cantaloupe listeriosis outbreak currently includes nine confirmed cases in Colorado, two in Texas and one in Nebraska. State, federal and local public health investigators are working to investigate the specific source of the outbreak, according to a press release issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

The law firm of PritzkerOlsen, P.A., which has been involved in every major Listeria outbreak in the United States, is also investigating the outbreak. If you need legal advice regarding this Listeria outbreak, contact the law firm of Pritzker Olsen, P.A. for a free consultation or call toll-free at (888)-377-8900.

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Colorado’s Listeria outbreak is likely being caused by cantaloupe and the outbreak now potentially includes two cases in Texas and one in Nebraska, according to Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment.

While Colorado public health officials have reported 13 confirmed cases of listeriosis, just nine of those are definitely linked to the multi-state outbreak, officials are saying. The remaining four cases either have lab results pending or are not linked. Two people have died and one of those Listeria deaths is linked to the outbreak.  

Confirmed Listeria cases in Colorado are in the following counties: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld. The people range in age from 30s to 90s. The average age is 84.  The majority are female. 

All nine of Colorado’s case patients consumed cantaloupe, the state agency said in a press release. A specific source of the contaminated product has not yet been identified. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is coordinating the multistate investigation, which includes three state health departments, the FDA and the USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service.

“While the investigation into the source of the Listeria outbreak is continuing, it is prudent for people who are at high risk for Listeria infection to avoid consumption of cantaloupe,” said Dr. Chris Urbina, chief medical officer of the Colorado health department.

Those at highest risk are pregnant women, young children, people over 60 and anyone with a compromised immune system.

Listeria lawyer Fred Pritzer, founder and president of PritzkerOlsen, P. A., has extensive experience representing outbreak victims and has filed numerous Listeria lawsuits, once winning a $6,000,000 settlement on a very difficult case. For a free consultation with a listeriosis attorney, please contact Fred at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete this free case consultation form.

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Officials investigating a widely dispersed outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul first focused on a single grower of alfalfa sprouts in Nebraska before fanning out and finding matching Salmonella contamination at sprout growers in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

In the end, federal authorities determined that all the growers received contaminated seeds that traced back to a single seed grower in Italy. Preliminary details of the investigation were released this week in a news release from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC, along with the Food and Drug Administration, continue to warn Americans not to eat raw alfalfa sprouts.

Since the outbreak began in early February, the outbreak had sickened 228 people in 13 states. About 4 percent of victims have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported, the press release said.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen represents victims in this outbreak and is currently accepting additional cases from every state involved. The firm has considerable experience and a reputation for success in representing survivors of foodborne illness. Fred 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.

To contact a Salmonella lawyer at Pritzker Olsen, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or write to us online for a free case consultation.

State by State

Overall, the numbers of confirmed cases by state look like this: Nebraska (110 cases), Iowa (35), South Dakota (35), Michigan (18), Kansas (8), Pennsylvania (7), Minnesota (5), Ohio (3), Illinois (2), West Virginia (2), Florida (1), North Carolina (1) and Utah (1) .

The CDC report said regulators are still checking the degree to which the various sprout growers  appropriately and consistently implemented FDA recommendations to protect against pathogens in sprouts. The guidelines, issued in 1995, include seed disinfection and tests of water used to grow sprouts.

The report said alfalfa seeds could become contaminated in several ways, although the exact method is unknown. Possible methods include pre-harvest contamination from use of contaminated water, the use of improperly composted manure as fertilizer, fecal contamination from domestic or wild animals and runoff from animal production facilities.

"Alfalfa seeds are produced for agricultural use, and might not be processed, handled, and stored under conditions appropriate for human food,'' the report said. Preventing seed contamination is vital because the conditions suitable for growing sprouts are also ideal for increasing counts of bacteria that might be present on seeds, the report said.

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The multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul that led to a recall of alfalfa sprouts by Nebraska's CW Sprouts Inc. is another reminder to consumers that people in high-risk categories for systemic infections should not eat raw sprouts.

The caution against sprouts for the young, elderly and immuno-compromised has been repeated for more than a decade by both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. At one point, there was even talk of requiring warning labels on the product. But as the CDC noted in one of its studies of Salmonella contamination of sprouts,  people continue to be more likely to view sprouts as a healthy food than as a possible vehicle for Salmonella or E. coli 0157:H7.

For people who continue to eat sprouts, heath officials recommend cooking before eating to reduce risks of illness.

National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is involved in the latest sprouts outbreak, representing victims. Besides having a reputation for collecting large sums on behalf of people injured or killed by adulterated food, 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. Salmonella lawyers at the firm can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or by completing an online case consultation form.

The most recent Salmonella outbreak possibly related to sprouts was announced in early March by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Health investigators found a correlation between ill persons and the consumption of CW Sprouts. The company agreed to a voluntary recall on March 3 but has denied being the source of the outbreak, which has grown to more than 100 confirmed cases mainly centered in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota.

From 1995 through 2001, CDC recorded 15 Salmonella outbreaks caused by contaminated sprouts. In the same period, two E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks were linked to sprouts. In Japan in 1996, contaminated radish sprouts were blamed for the world's largest recorded outbreak of E. coli -- 6,000 cases.

According to CDC and FDA literature, sprouts can become contaminated with Salmonella or E coli organisms during seed production, germination, processing or consumer handling. Once the bacteria in introduced, the same environmental conditions that are suitable for sprouting are also ideal for increasing bacterial counts.

Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis (swelling of the lining the heart) and arthritis. Most cases in healthy people resolve without the need for medical attention, but hospitalizations are not uncommon.

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The multi-state Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts has grown to more than 120 confirmed cases and national food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is continuing to hear from victims of the outbreak.

The firm, which is involved in virtually every major outbreak of foodborne illness, is representing victims in claims against  CW Sprouts Inc. of Nebraska.

It was early March when the Nebraska Department of Public Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first made the initial association between Salmonella Saintpaul infections and CW Sprouts' SunSprout products.

The company on March 3, 2009, recalled its alfalfa sprouts, onion sprouts and gourmet sprouts in an alfalfa sprouts recall announced in conjunction with the FDA. It was reported that the outbreak strain of Salmonella was found in patients in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Kansas and Colorado.

In mid-March, for instance, the South Dakota Department of Health announced 29 illnesses believed to be caused by the sprouts. The agency said 14 percent of the people had been to the hospital for treatment. Salmonella infection is potentially fatal for young children, the elderly and other people with weakened immune systems.

The sprouts were sold under the Sun Sprouts label in 4-ounce clear plastic clam shell containers.

National Salmonella law firm PritzkerOlsen is one of the few firms in the country practicing extensively in the area of food borne illness litigation. To contact a Salmonella lawyer at the firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or get a free on line case consultation. The firm has a national reputation for excellence and a proven track record for recovering compensation for victims of food poisoning across the country.

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According to the CDC, the E. coli outbreak that has been linked to Kroger ground beef and Nebraska Beef, Ltd. ground beef components now involves 5 states: Indiana (1), Kentucky (1), Michigan (20 according to the CDC and 22 according to the Michigan Department of Community Health), New York (1), and Ohio (21). The illnesses began between May 30 and June 24, 2008. Patients range in age from 4 to 78 years with a median age of 20 years.

Twenty-one ill persons have been hospitalized, according to the CDC. One patient has developed hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), an illness that can develop from an E. coli O157:H7 infection. HUS can cause kidney failure (renal failure) and damage to other organs. 

Health officials have linked Kroger ground beef to this outbreak.  According to the CDC:

State health and agriculture departments tested ground beef recovered from several patient residences that was purchased at Kroger® retail stores in Michigan and Ohio. Molecular fingerprinting testing conducted by the Ohio and Michigan Departments of Health and Agriculture Laboratories, in collaboration with PulseNet, the national molecular subtyping network for foodborne disease surveillance, on E. coli O157 isolates isolated from these ground beef samples have confirmed the isolates to be the outbreak strain of E. coli O157.

CDC's OutbreakNet Team conducted a multi-state case-control study in collaboration with health authorities in Ohio and Michigan to epidemiologically examine exposures that would be related to illness. The data indicate a significant association between illness and eating ground beef purchased at one of several Kroger® Company stores in Michigan and Ohio. CDC has provided these results to the USDA-FSIS and public health agencies in Michigan and Ohio.

On June 25, 2008, a recall was announced for ground beef sold at Kroger® Co. Stores in Michigan and Ohio. On July 3, the Kroger® Co. expanded the June 25th recall to include ground beef products from Kroger® establishments outside of Michigan and Ohio.

Kroger used Nebraska Beef, Ltd. ground beef components to make the Kroger ground beef involved in this outbreak. According to the USDA:

Nebraska Beef, Ltd., was identified as a common supplier to those stores in addition to two federally inspected establishments where FSIS obtained a positive ground beef sample that was matched to the outbreak strain.

On June 30, 2008, a recall of 531,707 pounds of ground beef components from Nebraska Beef Ltd. was announced. On July 3, 2008, the Nebraska Beef recall expanded to include all beef manufacturing trimmings and other products intended for use in raw ground beef produced between May 16 and June 26, 2008, totaling approximately 5.3 million pounds.

Our law firm has filed a lawsuit against Kroger Co. and Nebraska Beef, Ltd. on behalf of a victim of this E. coli outbreak.  To contact our law firm regarding this lawsuit, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free) or email attorney Fred Pritzker.

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