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

Health officials in Massachusetts are trying to determine if tainted raw milk was the source of a case of brucellosis, a disease so rare in the U.S. that a 1999 New Hampshire case prompted a bioterror investigation.

Brucellosis is caused by the Brucellla bacteria and is normally seen in countries that do not have good public health or animal health programs. It's been decades since the bacteria has been found in Massachusetts livestock, state agriculture officials said. Drinking raw milk or eating unpasteurized milk products is one way humans can contract brucellosis and a number of other serious illnesses.

Here's a look at raw milk outbreaks and recalls during 2011:

November 2011 Three customers who drank raw milk from Cozy Vale Creamery, Tenino, Wash. contracted E.coli infections. The dairy recalled raw milk after E.coli was discovred in the milking parlor.

November 2011 Five children who drank milk produced by Organic Pastures in Fresno, Calif, contracted E.coli infections.

October 2011 Two people are sickened after drinking raw milk tainted with Campylobacter produced on Jerry Dell Farm in Freeville, NY.

September 2011 Pride & Joy Creamery, Granger Wash., The diary issued a recall after Shiga-toxin producing E. coli was discovered in a sample during random testing by the health deaprtment.

July 2011  Three confirmed cases of Campylobacter infection linked to raw milk at Tucker Adkins Dairy, York, S.C.

June 2011 At least seven people in Alaska are sickened after drinking raw milk produced on a Mat-Su Valley farm that was ainted with Campylobacter.

June 2011 Three people contract Q Fever after drinking raw milk contaminated with Coxiella burnetti from a Livingston County, Michigan farm.

June 2011 Sixteen people in Wisconsin contract Campylobacter infections after drinking raw milk at a school event.

April 2011 Four people in Texas are sickened including one woman who was hospitalized with a Salmonella infecttion after drinking raw milk.

Feb 2011 Raw milk is recalled from the The Country Market in Wash. after E.coli 0157:H7 is found.

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A Salmonella outbreak that has sickened 68 people in 10 states is the latest in a recent string of foodborne illness outbreaks linked to Mexican-style food.

On January 19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its first and final report on a multi-state Mexican fast food outbreak but did not name the restaurant chain.

Those with confirmed cases of the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis in each state is as follows: Texas (43), Oklahoma (16), Kansas (2), Iowa (1), Michigan (1), Missouri (1), Nebraska (1), New Mexico (1), Ohio (1), and Tennessee (1). Investigators were unable to identify the specific food source of the outbreak, but say that the contamination likely occurred before the product reached the restaurant locations.

According to the CDC, restaurants are the most commonly identified setting for foodborne outbreaks. Recent outbreaks associated with Mexican-style restaurants include:

• A December 2011 Salmonella outbreak linked to Don Julio Mexican Restaurant in Corinth, MIss. that that sickened 59 patrons and staff.
• A September 2011 Salmonella outbreak linked to a Mexican restaurant in Grandville, Mich. that sickened at least one patron.
• Two August 2010 Salmonella outbreaks linked to a Mexican-style fast food chain that sickened at least 155 people in 18 states.

Salmonella is a bacteria that, if ingested, can cause an infection called salmonellosis. About 40,000 cases of salmonellosis are reported annually n the United States, but because many milder cases are not diagnosed or reported, the actual number of infections may be thirty times that number, according to the CDC.

Salmonellosis symptoms usually develop 12 to 72 hours after infection and include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps lasting four to seven days. In some cases, hospitalization is required. Those most at risk are young children, the elderly and the immunocompromised.

If you have legal questions about an illness you believe is associated with this outbreak, contact a Salmonella lawyer at PritzkerOlsen P.A. for a free consultation.
 

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 A multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to a Mexican-style fast food restaurant chain has sickened 68 people in 10 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Almost one third of those sickened with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis required hospitalization. The number of confirmed cases in each state is as follows: Texas (43), Oklahoma (16), Kansas (2), Iowa (1), Michigan (1), Missouri (1), Nebraska (1), New Mexico (1), Ohio (1), and Tennessee (1).

Among those for whom information was available, 60 percent reported eating at the fast food chain in the week before the onset of illness. Illnesses began on or after October 13, 2011. Patients ranged in age from <1 to 79 years, the median age was 25. Fifty-four percent of patients were female. No deaths were reported.

A collaborative investigation by federal, state and local investigators was unable to identify a specific food associated with illness, but data indicate that contamination likely occurred before the product reached the restaurant locations.

Among the ill who reported eating at the restaurants, 90 percent reported eating lettuce, 94 percent reported eating ground beef, 77 percent reported eating cheese, and 35 percent reported eating tomatoes. This outbreak’s epidemic curve is consistent with produce-related outbreaks, according to the CDC. The restaurant’s meat handling and cooking practices make it unlikely that ground beef was the source.

Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause serious illness if ingested. Symptoms including diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps usually develop 12 to 72 hours after infection. In some cases, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized or the infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other body sites and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics. Young children, the elderly and those with impaired immune systems are most at risk.

If you have legal questions about an illness or hospitalization associated with this outbreak, contact the foodborne illness attorneys at PritzkerOlsen P.A. for a free consultation.

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The closure of nearly 260 offices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will not compromise the services the agency provides, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said this week.

Vilsack, who addressed members of the Farm Bureau during the closing session of their annual meeting Jan. 9, said the closures were a necessary part of the agency’s streamlining efforts which are the result of the continuing federal budget deficit.

The agency’s goal is to trim $150 million from its annual budget of $145 billion at a time when its workload is at record highs, and it has less money and fewer people to do the work, Vilsack said. The cuts also come after a year when the nation experienced the largest meat recall and one of the deadliest foodborne illness outbreaks in U.S. history.

The closures, which affect labs and facilities in 46 states, and seven foreign offices include five district offices of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), 11 domestic offices of animal and plant health inspection services, five foreign offices of animal and plant inspection services and 24 soil survey offices. These cuts will not affect the agency’s commitment to keeping the nation’s food supply safe and there will be no reduction of the number of inspectors, he said.
 

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A Salmonella outbreak that has sickened dozens of people in Corinth, Miss. has been linked to Don Julio  Mexican Restaurant and is no longer and ongoing public health threat, the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) said yesterday.

 "Our investigation has shown that the incident does not appear to be a food producer or supplier issue," Northeast Mississippi District Health Officer Dr. Jessie R. Taylor, said in a statement. "It appears to be an isolated problem with this particular restaurant, and the restaurant is working closely with us to correct the problem."

The restaurant, which has been closed since December 8, will remain closed until an improvement plan is approved by the MSDH.

 As of December 13, a total of 59 patrons and employees of Don Julio Mexican Restaurant in Corinth, had positive cultures confirming the presence of Salmonella. MSDH has notified area healthcare providers.

Salmonella is a bacteria that, if ingested, causes salmonellosis an infection that can be serious and sometimes fatal. Children are the most likely to get salmonellosis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The rate of diagnosed infections in children less than five years old is higher than the rate for all other age groups.

Symptoms of salmonellosis include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment,according to the CDC. In some cases, however, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient requires hospitalization. In these cases, the infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics.

Anyone with legal questions about an illness related to this outbreak can contact the foodborne illness lawyers at PritzkerOlsen P.A. for a free consultation.
 

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An outbreak of foodborne illness that has sickened at least 40 people in Duluth is being investigated by the Minnesota Department of health (MDH), according to the StarTribune.

Those who became ill were among 350 guests who attended a wedding at the Greysolon Ballroom last weekend, so there could be additional cases, an MDH spokesman Doug Schultz told the Duluth News Tribune. The investigation is ongoing.

The food served at the event was provided by Greysolon Ballroom By Blackwoods. Sean Stepan, the controller of its parent group, New London Corp., referred reporter’s questions to MDH. 

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has declared an official end to the cantaloupe Listeria outbreak which began in Colorado in mid-August and swept through 28 states sickening 146 people and killing 30 before meeting its own end.

The source of the outbreak was Jensen Farms of Holly, Colo., where the FDA found a number of unsanitary conditions including used packing equipment that was difficult to clean and standing water on the packing room floor.

The number of victims  identified in each state was as follows: Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), California (4), Colorado (40), Idaho (2), Illinois (4), Indiana (3), Iowa (1), Kansas (11), Louisiana (2), Maryland (1), Missouri (7), Montana (1), Nebraska (6), Nevada (1), New Mexico (15), New York (2), North Dakota (2), Oklahoma (12), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (1), South Dakota (1), Texas (18), Utah (1), Virginia (1), West Virginia (1), Wisconsin (2), and Wyoming (4).

 

Thirty deaths were reported: Colorado (8), Indiana (1), Kansas (3), Louisiana (2), Maryland (1), Missouri (3), Nebraska (1), New Mexico (5), New York (2), Oklahoma (1), Texas (2), and Wyoming (1). Those who died ranged in age  from 48 to 96 years, with a median age of 82.5 years. In addition, one woman who was pregnant at the time of illness had a miscarriage.

Those with legal questions regarding an illness or hospitalization associated with this outbreak should contact the foodborne illness attorneys at PritzkerOlsen P.A. for a free consultation.

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This week, as New Jersey state senators ponder proposed legislation that would legalize the sale of raw milk, California food safety officials are recalling and quarantining Organic Pastures raw milk products after five children who drank raw milk from the dairy contracted E. coli infections. Three of the children were hospitalized with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication of E. coli infections that can damage the kidneys and central nervous system and cause kidney failure, seizures, coma, and stroke.

Raw milk is milk that hasn’t been pasteurized. Proponents say drinking it can aid digestion, boost the immune system and ease the symptoms of allergies and asthma. There is no scientific evidence to back these claims. There is, however, a mountain of evidence that consuming raw milk can be dangerous and that pasteurization saves lives.

Raw milk is responsible for one of the deadliest outbreaks of foodborne illness in U.S. history, the 1911 streptococcus outbreak that killed 48 people and sickened more than 2,000,according to Preventative Medicine and Hygiene, by Milton Joseph Rosenau.

Raw milk products account for the bulk of all dairy product-associated outbreaks of foodborne illness reported to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Over the 36-year period between 1973 and 2009, a whopping 82 percent were caused by raw milk or cheese made from raw milk. Raw milk and raw milk products caused 93 reported outbreaks of foodborne illness between 1998 and 2009, according to the CDC. Those outbreaks sickened 1,837 people, 195 of whom required hospitalization, two of whom died.

“It is important to note that a substantial proportion of the raw milk-associated disease burden falls on children; among the 93 raw dairy product outbreaks from 1998 to 2009, 79% involved at least one person less than 20 years old.”

Most illnesses associated with the consumption of raw milk are caused by E. coli: O157, Campylobacter, or Salmonella, all of which can create serious, sometimes fatal infections. For all foodborne illnesses, children are among those considered most at risk.

The United States has been aware of the dangers of raw milk since the turn of the last century when the diseases it spread included: tuberculosis, typhoid fever, diptheria, scarlet fever, septic sore throat, malta fever and foot and mouth disease, according to Preventative Medicine and Hygiene. Between 1907 and 1911, raw milk caused five outbreaks that sickened more than 4000 people in the Boston area alone, according to Rosenau’s research. In Washington, during the same time period, 10 percent of all typhoid fever cases were traced to raw milk.

Those outbreaks were the impetus for improving the safety of milk through pasteurization. Pasteurization began in the 1920s and was widespread by 1950, according to the CDC:

“It led to dramatic reductions in the number of people getting sick from diseases that had previously been transmitted commonly by milk. Most public health professionals and health care providers consider pasteurization to be one of public health’s most effective food safety interventions ever!”

Many medical and scientific organizations recommend that consumers drink only pasteurized milk. They include: the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, and others. 

Sources: Preventative Medicine and Hygiene, by Milton Joseph Rosenau.

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Standing water on the floor of the Jensen Farms cantaloupe packing facility and used equipment that was hard to clean were likely breeding grounds for Listeria monocytogenes, the bacteria responsible for the deadliest outbreak of foodborne illness in almost three decades, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Wednesday.

The cantaloupe Listeria outbreak, which has swept through 26 states, has killed 25 people, caused one miscarriage and stricken more than 100 others. In a six-page report released October 19, the FDA outlines the factors that most likely contributed to the introduction, spread, and growth of Listeria on cantaloupes.

Introduction of the bacteria occurred in two possible ways, according to the report, either low levels of the bacteria existed in the fields where the melons were grown, or it was carried in on a truck.

From there, it spread and grew easily in the unsanitary conditions found on the farm including:

• A packing facility design that allowed water to pool on the floor near equipment and employee walkways;
• A packing facility floor that was constructed in a manner that made it difficult to clean
• Used packing equipment that was not easily cleaned and sanitized;
• Lack of pre-cooling step to remove field heat from the cantaloupes before cold storage. As the cantaloupes cooled, there may have been condensation that promoted the growth of Listeria.

Listeria can grow and thrive in refrigerated conditions and is killed only by cooking or pasteurization. Consumption of foods contaminated with Listeria can caused serious, sometimes, fatal illness. It is especially danegrous to children, the elderly and pregnant women. If you have legal questions about a case related to this outbreak, contact the Listeria experts at the law firm of PritzkerOlsen P.A., for a free consultation.
 

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 The cantaloupe Listeria outbreak is the deadliest outbreak of foodborne illness in the U.S. in more than a decade, according to federal officials who say more people are likely to be stricken by the Listeria infection that has already killed 13 people and sickened 59 others in 18 states.

 According to the most recent update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), onest of illness for the first of the 72 confirmed cases linked to the outbreak began on or after July 31, 2011.

The state totals for illness are as follows: California (1), Colorado (15), Florida (1), Illinois (1), Indiana (2), Kansas (5), Maryland (1), Missouri (1), Montana (1), Nebraska (6), New Mexico (10), North Dakota (1), Oklahoma (8), Texas (14), Virginia (1), West Virginia (1), Wisconsin (2), and Wyoming (1).

Deaths reported by state are as follows: Colorado (2), Kansas (1), Maryland (1), Missouri (1), Nebraska (1), New Mexico (4), Oklahoma (1), and Texas (2).

The outbreak has been linked to Rocky Ford cantaloupe melons grown on Jensen Farms, Holly, Colo., which began a voluntary recall of its melons on September 14, 2011.

The CDC recommends that people at high risk for listeriosis, including older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women, do not eat Rocky Ford cantaloupes from Jensen Farms. Other consumers who want to reduce their risk of Listeria infection should not eat Rocky Ford cantaloupes from Jensen Farms, the CDC says.

Listeriosis is a serious, sometimes fatal infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. The disease primarily affects older adults, people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and newborns.Antibiotics given promptly can cure the illness and prevent infection of a fetus. However, even with prompt treatment, some Listeria infections result in death.

Symptoms of listeriosis can take as long as 70 day to appear after contaminated food is ingested. They include fever and muscle aches, often preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. In more severe cases, there can also be headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, according to the CDC.

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Two elderly Mesa County residents have been stricken with listeriosis, one of them has died, another remains hospitalized. 

Neither of the cases has been linked to the multi-state cantaloupe listeria outbreak. Since mid-August, the outbreak has sickened 55 people in 14 states, eight of whom have died, according to a September 21 update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Earlier this month, health officials identified Rocky Ford cantaloupes from Jensen Farms of Holly, Colo., as the likely source of the outbreak. On September 14, Jensen Farms issued a voluntary recall of its Rocky Ford cantaloupe because of  potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, the foodborne pathogen that causes listeriosis. 

Listeriosis is a serious, sometimes fatal infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. The disease primarily affects older adults, people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and newborns. Antibiotics given promptly can cure the illness and prevent infection of a fetus. However, even with prompt treatment, some Listeria infections result in death.  

Symptoms  of listeriosis can take as long as 70 day to appear after contaminated food is ingested. They include fever and muscle aches, often preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. In more severe cases, there can also be headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, according to the CDC.

If you have legal questions about and illness, hospitalization or death associated with this outbreak, contact a listeria attorney at PritzkerOlsen for a free consultation.

Source: http://health.mesacounty.us/comm/news/2011/2011-09-22-1.pdf

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Rocky Ford cantaloupes, melons grown in the Rocky Ford region of southeastern Colorado, are the likely source of a Listeria outbreak that has killed one person, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Confirmed illnesses from the outbreak include: Colorado (11), Texas (2), Nebraska (1), Indiana (1) and Oklahoma (1). (Updated September 14, 2011.) Testing is still pending in other states including New Mexico, where three people died and six others were sickened by listeriosis after eating cantaloupe.

Rocky Ford is located in the Arkansas Valley of Colorado, the river valley that runs from Turquoise Lake near Leadville to the Kansas state line. Farmers have been growing cantaloupes and watermelons there since 1895. It’s the birthplace of commercial cantaloupe production in the U.S.

Up until now, Rocky Ford melons have been famous for their especially sweet taste. With an average sugar content of 12 percent,  2 percent higher than most melons, Rocky Ford melons often achieve USDA “extra fancy” status.

During this outbreak, people at high risk for Listeria: the elderly, the immunocompromised and pregnant women, should not eat Rocky Ford melons, public health officials are advising.

Listeriosis is caused by eating foods contaminated with Listeria. Symptoms of listeriosis include: fever and muscle aches, often preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. “Almost everyone who is diagnosed with listeriosis has "invasive" infection, in which the bacteria spread from the intestines to the blood stream or other body sites,” according to the CDC.

Symptoms vary with the infected person but can include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. Pregnant women typically experience only a mild, flu-like illness. However, infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn, according to the CDC.

In this outbreak, victims’ ages range from 38 to 96 years. Most are females over 60. All of them were sick enough to be hospitalized. 

If you have legal questions about a listeriosis case associated with this outbreak, Listeria lawyers at PritzkerOlsen P.A. can help. Contact them toll free at 1 (888) 377-8900 or submit our free consultation form.

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Colorado state health officials are working to determine the source of a listeriosis outbreak along the Front Range that has killed two people and hospitalized seven others. Most of the patients are women in their 30s to 90s who live in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson or Weld counties, according to the health department. 

Eating food contaminated with Listeria can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal infection. Each year, 1,600 people become seriously ill from listeriosis. Of these, 260 die according the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those at highest risk include older adults, pregnant women and people with immune compromising conditions. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, headache, stiff neck, confusion and convulsions. Listeriosis also can cause miscarriages and stillbirths.

Foods of particular concern include :

• Hot dogs, luncheon meats, cold cuts, other deli meats (e.g., bologna), or fermented or dry sausages unless they are heated to an internal temperature of 165 F, or until steaming hot just before serving.
• Refrigerated smoked seafood, such as salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna and mackerel, is most often labeled as "nova-style," "lox," "kippered," "smoked" or "jerky."
• Unpasteurized soft cheese such as feta, queso blanco, queso fresco, brie, Camembert, blue-veined or panela (queso panela). 

National food safety experts at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., are investigating the Colorado listeriosis outbreak. Our firm is one of the very few in the country with extensive experience in foodborne illness litigation and we have won millions of dollars for past Listeria outbreak victims. If you have legal questions regarding compensation for harms brought by an infection in this outbreak, contact our listeriosis attorneys online or call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). Case consultations with a lawyer are free.

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Perfringens food poisoning often is associated with temperature abuse of food in group settings, especially when the food sits before people arrive. In Illinois, the City of Evanston Health Department was contacted by Evanston School District 65 regarding 30 individuals becoming ill after eating food catered from Merle’s Smokehouse of Evanston at parent/teacher conferences on Wednesday February 16, 2011. 

Perfringens food poisoning normally lasts 24 hours, causing intense cramps and diarrhea that starts  6 to 24 hours after consumption of contaminated food. The Evanston Health Department collected samples of catered food and inspected Merle's Smokehouse. Results indicated Clostridium perfringens caused the outbreak.

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 The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals today reopened Area 29 to oyster harvesting after it had been shut down over concerns that the oysters caused a Norovirus outbreak in North Carolina last month.

"DHH evaluations of Area 29, located in Lower Calcasieu Lake, have determined the molluscan shellfish growing waters there are suitable for harvest of oysters,'' the department said in a press release.

Calcasieu Lake is an estuary in the Gulf of Mexico south of Lake Charles, Louisiana.

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At least one child HUS case and possibly a second is under investigation as part of the Villiage of Belgium E. coli outbreak in southeastern Wisconsin.

Fox 6 News of Milwaukee broke the story that several Wisconsin children who live on Grand Avenue in Belgium have been stricken recently by E. coli O157:H7 infections. The station says one 4-year-old spent six weeks at Childrens' Hospital with E coli HUS, or hemolytic uremic syndrome. The child underwent dialysis and blood transfusions and was in the intensive care unit. Now a second child has been hospitalized.

Ozaukee County Health Department officials, along with state health investigators, are looking for a cause. The Village of Belgium WI president says E. coli water tests taken on the town's water supply have come back negative.

If you have information on this outbreak or wish to speak to an E. coli lawyer who has experience in outbreak investigations, contact an E. coli HUS lawyer at Pritzker Olsen by dialing 1-888-377-8900 (toll free.) Our law firm is a recognized leader in the area of foodborne illness and we are actively involved in efforts to prevent food poisoning of all types by making the U.S. food supply safer.

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Food retailer Safeway is recalling certain ground beef products sold at all of its stores in Arizona and a store in Gallup, New Mexico, because they may be linked to an outbreak of Salmonella.

The Salmonella ground beef recall is related to fresh hamburger made by Beef Packers Inc. of Fresno, California. More than 22,000 pounds of the meat from Cargill-owned Beef Packers has been associated with a ground beef Salmonella outbreak with two confirmed victims in Arizona.

Safeway is recalling ground beef packages from its Arizona stores with sell-by dates of September 28-October 11. Even though all the beef is believed to have been sold by now, the company is urging consumers to check their refrigerators and freezers for the product.

The recall includes fresh ground beef products sold during the dates listed above at the full-service counter in brown butcher paper and at the self-service area wrapped on black Styrofoam trays. These products include fresh ground beef, fresh ground beef patties, fresh meat balls, fresh meat loaf and fresh bell peppers stuffed with beef and pork.

The outbreak strain of Salmonella is from the Salmonella Newport family and is resistant to many commonly prescribed drugs, which can increase the risk of hospitalization or possible treatment failure in infected individuals.

Young children, adults over age 60 and people who have weakened immune systems are most vulnerable to Salmonella, which can be life threatening and can also bring on long-term negative health consequences, including Reiter's Syndrome.

If you or a loved one has been sickened by ground beef sold by Safeway and have been to a doctor, you may have a claim against the retail chain, Beef Packers and Cargill. To protect your legal rights and receive a free case consultation, call a Salmonella lawyer at Pritzker Olsen Attorneys 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our online contact and information form on the side of this page. 

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 A South Carolina health official says Salmonella appears to be the cause of illness at the Cedar Grove Baptist Church benefit dinner in Conway.

The Conway church fundraiser Salmonella outbreak has sickened about 125 people, including 11 who were hospitalized. The information comes from Jim Beasley, spokesman for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.

Beasley told The Sun News newspaper that roughly 1,450 plates were sold at the fundraiser, which was held Friday to benefit the family of a sick child. The meals of barbecue pork, baked sweet potatoes, cole slaw and rolls were prepared at a local hunting club, according to a press release from Dr. Covia Stanley, director of the state health department's Region 6.

Common symptoms have included abdominal cramping, nausea, diarrhea and vomitting

Dr. Stanley urged attendees of the dinner to see a physician immediately if they have any Salmonella symptoms.

For legal questions about the Cedar Grove Baptist Salmonella outbreak, call a Salmonella lawyer at Pritzker Olsen Attorneys, 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). Our firm is dedicated to prevention of foodborne illness and we are one of the few law firms in the country practicing extensively in the area of food poisoning litigation. Contact us by phone or online by completing the contact and information form on the right had side of this web page.

Over the years we have collected tens of millions of dollars for victims of Salmonella and other foodborne illness. 

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 Two Michigan residents have been hospitalized and 10 others sickened in a MI Salmonella Sprouts outbreak that has prompted a public health warning.

State and local health and agriculture officials are working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to determine the precise source of the sprouts Salmonellosis outbreak.

The Michigan Department of Community Health said the illness onset dates have ranged from August 17 to September 18, 2009. The confirmed sprouts Salmonella cases have been spread over seven counties: Bay, Genesee, Kent, Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne counties.

Dr. Gregory Holzman, chief medical executive for the state health department, issued a recommendation that people, especially young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems, avoid consumption of raw alfalfa sprouts until more is known about the source.

If you or someone you love has been sickened in this Michigan sprouts outbreak, see a physician immediately. To protect your legal rights, contact national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). For years our firm has been a national leader in representing victims of food poisoning and our top lawyers are frequently sought out for expert commentary by the media and by large groups, including food industry convention gatherings.

To contact a Salmonella lawyer online, complete our contact form and receive a free case consultation. If we agree to take your case, we don' t get paid unless you win. Over the years, our firm has recovered tens of millions for victims of food poisoning.

Sprouts are always an iffy proposition from a food safety perspective because there are multiple risk factors. If pathogenic bacteria are present in or on the seed when sprouts are planted, the organisms can stick with the plants. In addition, the warm and humid conditions required to grow sprouts are ideal for the rapid growth of the microbes. Thirdly, poor hygiene in production plants can give rise to Salmonella, or E. coli O157:H7 in sprouts.

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State and county officials in Wisconsin are considering whether criminal charges should be filed against a family farm in Elkhorn that sold raw milk associated with a Wisconsin raw milk Campylobacter outbreak.

Walworth County Assistant District Attorney Zeke Wiedenfeld told the Janesville Gazette newspaper that it's a crime in Wisconsin to sell raw milk. But he said it could take another couple of weeks for officials to decide what to do in the case of Zinniker Farm selling the unpasteurized product under a program whereby customers supposedly share ownership of a cow.

The farm in southeastern Wisconsin has been associated with an outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni that sickened at least 35 people, including one who was hospitalized. State health officials stepped in to shut down the distribution of raw milk and found the same genetic strain of Campylobacter in cow feces on the farm as was found in 25 of the patients.

Farm families can legally drink raw milk produced on their farms, but the state forbids the sale of any raw milk to outsiders who don't own the farm itself unless the buyer is a pasteurized dairy processor.

Prosecutors have met with farm owners Mark and Petra Zinniker in addition to officials at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. The Zinnikers have declined to offer public comment so far.

Most people recover from Campylobacter infection within two to five days and sometimes closer to 10 days. But there is a risk of long-term health consequences associated with the disease, even after diarrhea, stomach pain and other symptoms subside. Some people develop arthritis. Others come down with the rare disease of Guillain-Barre' syndrome, an attack on the body's nerve system that can lead to temporary paralysis. An estimated one in 1,000 people who contract Campylobacter also develop Guillain-Barre'.  

If you or a loved one have been sickened in this WI raw milk outbreak, regardless of your beliefs about the safety of drinking raw milk, contact an attorney at PritzkerOlsen, P.A. We are a national food safety and food poisoning law firm that has a national reputation for representing victims of foodborne illness and making recoveries from insurance companies.

 Over the years we have recovered tens of millions of dollars for patients who have been affected by diarrheal, foodborne illnesses and associated complications, including Guillain-Barre' syndrome.

For more information and to talk to one of our attorneys free of charge, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). Or, to receive a free case consultation from a lawyer who has handled Campylobacter cases in the past, submit one of our online forms with your contact information and description of your experience.

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Top executives from U.S. produce companies gathered at separate conventions this summer in Monterey, California, and Austin, Texas, to hear PritzkerOlsen principal Elliot Olsen tell them how an outbreak of foodborne illness can put a company out of business in 24 hours.

Elliot was invited to these premier food safety symposiums in July and August by the Produce Marketing Association, which hosted the events. Normally our firm finds itself in opposition to growers and handlers of fresh produce when contaminated lettuce, spinach, tomatoes or some other vegetable are linked to an outbreak ofE. coli O157:H7 or Salmonella.

But Elliot's central message to the industry at these symposiums had an unexpected twist.

While the PritzkerOlsen law firm has a well-earned reputation from coast to coast for battling companies and collecting millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning, the firm's overarching mission is to help make the U.S. food supply safer -- a goal that PritzkerOlsen holds in common with most food producers.

"It's not just a game to us,'' he said. "Part of our mission is prevention.''

Elliot told attendees of the symposiums that companies learn valuable food safety lessons when victims of food poisoning assert their right to compensation for injuries, lost wages, pain and suffering. Without the discipline that lawsuits can bring, no set of regulations from government could bring meaningful reform on their own.

A major portion of Elliot's presentation focused on the human cost of food poisoning. Take, for instance, a past client of PritzkerOlsen described to symposium attendees as Mr. Lewis (not his real name). Mr. Lewis was a very active and healthy 81-year-old man when he contracted Listeriosis from contaminated food. The infection damaged his central nervous system and left him paralyzed. His hospitalization was followed by 400 days in a nursing home, ending in his death. By then, he was hardly recognizable.

Olsen said the crowds in Monterey and Austin -- which included many CEOs and other top-ranking produce company executives -- were very receptive. "Hopefully we'll continue our efforts to eliminate foodborne illness,'' he said.

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State and county health officials in western Illinois are preparing to provide hepatitis A vaccinations and an immune drug called globulin to portions of the population in connection with a possible McDonald's hepatitis A outbreak.

Jim Bohnsack, county board chairman in Rock Island County, told Quad Cities Times health reporter Dierdre Cox Baker that the county health department ordered the McDonald's in Milan, Illinois, to be closed in connection with the outbreak investigation. McDonald's employees were screened for the virus on Thursday, the same day the restaurant closed. It has remained closed "until further notice,'' according to signs on the building.

Bohnsack also said the county will seek to have the Milan McDonald's pay for hepatitis A vaccinations and globulin.

The Milan McDonald's restaurant, on U.S. 67, is being investigated in connection with an outbreak of hepatitis A that has infected at least 19 people, including 11 who required hospitalization, the QC Times reported. Most of the cases are in Rock Island County.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys is interested in helping any possible victims of the outbreak, including employees of the Illinois McDonald's where hepatitis A may have been spread. Pritzker Olsen is one of the few law firms in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation. We represent hepatitis A victims around the country.

In restaurant outbreaks of hepatitis A, It is usually spread by a worker who didn't wash his or her hands after going to the toilet, but a deeper cause usually traces back to the lack of strict policy or a restaurant owner's failure to remove infected employees from the job until they are well. Restaurants are ultimately responsible for any harm caused by the food they serve.

A simple $50 shot could have prevented this hepatitis A outbreak that may be connected to McDonald's. Pritzker Olsen has long advocated that all restaurant workers be given the hepatitis A vaccine to keep these outbreaks from happening.

To contact a hepatitis A lawyer at Pritzker Olsen, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or contact us online. To receive a free case consultation, complete one of our online forms.

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Since 1996 there have been more than 100 human infectious disease outbreaks involving animals in public settings reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In 2000, two E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks at animal shows in Pennsylvania and Washington prompted the CDC to issue guidelines to acknowledge the risk factors: Direct animal contact and inadequate hand washing.

The latest major outbreak at an animal show was the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado. The show ran from Jan. 10-25, 2009, drawing 650,000 attendees. When it was over, there were 29 confirmed cases of E. coli O157:H7 (19 primary and 10 secondary), including nine hospitalizations and two individuals with HUS, or hemolytic uremic syndrome, a severe complication most often in children that attacks their red blood cells and kidneys. The victims from the outbreak lived in seven counties along Colorado's front range.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys is representing survivors of this outbreak and is accepting additional cases. Recently, an update on the outbreak investigation was made public by the health agencies that conducted the probe.

According to the investigation update, the outbreak strains of E. coli were found in four samples taken from floor sweepings and mats on which animals stood on the third floor "Feed the Animals Exhibit.'' In the update, the definition of a case is described as one that was confirmed through stool sample; onset of illness since January 10; and with a genetic fingerprint matching one of two outbreak strains of E coli.

 E. coli O157:H7 at petting zoos is a well-known and preventable danger. In 2005, the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians issued a document entitled "Compendium of Measures to Prevent Disease Associated with Animals in Public Setting.'' It was endorsed by a number or organizations, including the CDC. The document was updated in 2009 and it appears the National Western Stock Show failed to follow a number of these measures.

If you or someone you love contracted  E. coli 0157:H7 as part of the NWSS outbreak, contact an E. coli attorney at Pritzker Olsen. Our firm is one of America's most experience foodborne illness law firms and we have collected tens of millions of dollars for victims of E. coli, Salmonella and other infectious diseases.

If you would like to learn more about us, visit us on the web, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or email firm president Fred Pritzker at fhp@pritzkerlaw.com. In addition, you can receive a free case consultation online by completing one of our forms.

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Health investigators in Texas are examining a cluster of 25 Salmonella illnesses in and around Lockhart, Texas, but they have not yet found a cause.

Doug McBride, a spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services, told the Austin American-Statesman newspaper that a few of those infected with Salmonellosis have been hospitalized. In Caldwell County, where the outbreak has occurred, there is usually only seven to nine cases of Salmonella reported in a year.

Symptoms of Salmonella include diarrhea, headache, stomach cramps, nausea and sometimes vomiting. The symptoms go away after several days, but an infected person may be able to pass the disease to another person for up to two months.

The bacteria is spread by eating contaminated food, drinking contaminated water, or having hand-to-mouth contact with the feces of an infected person or animal.

If you or someone you know has possibly been infected with Salmonella bacteria, see a physician immediately. Most healthy adults can withstand the disease without treatment, but it can be fatal to young children, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems.

To contact a Salmonella lawyer, call Pritzker Olsen Attorneys at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete one of our online forms for a free case consultation.

Our firm is one of the few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness and we have collected tens of millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning. We are representing Salmonella victims nationwide, including the families of three women from Minnesota and Ohio who died in the peanut butter Salmonella outbreak late last year and early this year caused by Peanut Corporation of America. 

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State and federal health officials are expanding their investigation into the Nestle E. coli outbreak by examining the supplier of flour to Nestle's cookie dough plant in Danville, Virginia.

The Danville News quoted Food and Drug Administration spokesman Stephanie Kwisnek as saying the flour supplier will be looked at with help from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Earlier this week the FDA confirmed a finding of E. coli  O157:H7 in a previously unopened package of Nestle Toll House refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough obtained at the Danville plant. Further tests are being conducted to determine if the organism matches the outbreak strain of E. coli that has sickened at least 72 people in 30 states. The tainted sample was produced February 10, 2009.

If you or someone you love has been sickened with E. coli after swallowing raw Nestle cookie dough or simply from baking with the dough in your kitchen, contact an E. coli attorney at national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys. The firm has collected millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning and has the resources, experience and skill to represent you against a large multi-national company such as Nestle.

To contact an E. coli attorney at our firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete one of our online forms to receive a free case consultation from a lawyer.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),  34 patients in the Nestle E. cookie dough outbreak have been hospitalized and ten of those victims developed HUS, or hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure that is the leading cause of E. coli deaths.

Nestle has halted production of cookie dough at its Danville plant, where federal and state investigators are still probing the cause of the outbreak. The company recalled 300,000 cases of cookie dough from the marketplace, or 3.6 million packages.

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by Attorney Fred Pritzker

The recent multistate E. coli O157:H7 outbreak associated with Nestlé Toll House refrigerated cookie dough products is still under investigation by state and federal health authorities.  At this stage of the investigation, there is no solid hypothesis as to how cookie dough became contaminated with a pathogen generally found in the feces of cattle. In all my years investigating and representing victims of foodborne illness, this particular E. coli O157:H7 outbreak may be the most baffling. There simply is not an obvious source of contamination like we have seen with other meat or produce related E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks. One very real possibility, however, is that cross-contamination at some stage of the manufacturing process contaminated the cookie dough on a very large scale.

Cross-contamination is not just a concern for commercial food producers – it poses a risk to every consumer in their kitchen and local grocery store. Consumers need to be vigilant about the food they feed their family, and take time to think about the consequences of using the same utensils and surfaces to prepare potentially dangerous raw food and ready to eat food. Often we do not think about the potential hazards of cross-contamination, yet E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella infections can be lethal. By following these useful food safety recommendations you can greatly reduce the chances your family becomes ill because of cross-contamination.  

When shopping:

• Separate raw meat, poultry, and seafood from other foods in your grocery-shopping cart.
• Place these foods in plastic bags to prevent their juices from dripping onto other foods.
• It is also best to separate these foods from other foods at check out and in your grocery bags.
• Ask your grocer or butcher about their sterilization process for utensils and meat cutters that touch raw meat.

When refrigerating food:

• Place raw meat, poultry, and seafood in containers or sealed plastic bags to prevent their juices from dripping onto other foods. Raw juices often contain harmful bacteria.
• Store eggs in their original carton and refrigerate as soon as possible.

When preparing food:

• Wash hands and surfaces often. Harmful bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get onto cutting boards, utensils, and counter tops. To prevent this:
• Wash hands with soap and hot water before and after handling food, and after using the bathroom, changing diapers; or handling pets.
• Use hot, soapy water and paper towels or clean cloths to wipe up kitchen surfaces or spills. Wash cloths often in the hot cycle of your washing machine.
• Wash cutting boards, dishes, and counter tops with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item and before you go on to the next item.

Cutting boards:

• Always use a clean cutting board.
• If possible, use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
• Once cutting boards become excessively worn or develop hard-to-clean grooves, you should replace them.

Marinating food:

• Always marinate food in the refrigerator, not on the counter.
• Sauce that is used to marinate raw meat, poultry, or seafood should not be used on cooked foods, unless it is boiled just before using.

Fruits and vegetables:

• Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables in running tap water to remove visible dirt and grime.
• Remove and discard the outermost leaves of a head of lettuce or cabbage.
• Because bacteria can grow well on the cut surface of fruit or vegetables, be careful not to contaminate these foods while slicing them up on the cutting board, and avoid leaving cut produce at room temperature for many hours.

When serving food:

• Always use a clean plate.
• Never place cooked food back on the same plate or cutting board that previously held raw food.

Attorney Fred Pritzker represents E. coli victims nationwide.  He can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or by submitting our free consultation form.

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Pritzker Olsen Attorneys has begun its own investigation and is compiling information for a possible Nestle cookie dough lawsuit in connection with the ongoing, 28-state outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 that has been associated with raw Nestle cookie dough.

Throughout the day, more and more state and federal health agencies are coming out with additional correlation between the outbreak -- which has sickened at least 66 individuals -- and Nestle Toll House cookie dough. In Minnesota, for instance, all six people who were sickened by the outbreak strain of E. coli said they ate raw Nestle cookie dough before getting sick.

And we now have our first clue as to what the source may be.  The Danville News in Danville, Virginia, is reporting that Nestle has stopped some production in the plant that makes a majority of the prepackaged, refrigerated cookie dough. All varieties are affected by a Nestle cookie dough recall announced earlier today. Federal health authorities have warned consumers not to consume the product raw and not to use it for baking until further notice.
 
The Danville News:

“Nestle USA has stopped production in half of its Danville plant following a Centers for Disease Control and Food and Drug Administration investigation that the company’s cookie dough may be connected to a recent E. coli outbreak   “The Danville facility makes the majority of our Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough,” said Roz O’Hearn, spokeswoman for the company.”

The outbreak has been described by the FDA as including 66 confirmed illnesses of the same molecular subtype. Twenty-five of the victims have been hospitalized and seven have developed severe complications known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

Pritzker Olsen has already been in contact with potential victims of the outbreak and is accepting cases from all states involved in the recall, including Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Illinois, Kansas, Ohio, Iowa, Minnesota, California, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Indiana, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Maine, Vermont, New York, Virginia, West Virginia, Florida and Michigan.

As one of the few law firms in the country practicing extensively in fooborne illness litigation, Pritzker Olsen has collected millions for victims of food poisoning.

If you believe you or a loved one has contracted E. coli O157:H7 from eating Toll House Cookie Dough, E. coli lawyers at the firm are ready to assist you. There is no charge for consulting with our firm. If we agree to represent you, we are paid a percentage of the money we collect for you. If there is no recovery, you owe us nothing.

To talk to a Nestle recall lawyer at Pritzker Olsen, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or use one of our online forms to submit your information for a free case consultation.

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Federal and state health investigators have associated an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in 28 states with consumption of raw, prepackaged Nestle cookie dough.

The company has announced a Nestle cookie dough recall affecting all varieties. In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are warning Americans not to eat the product, which is sold under the Nestle Toll House brand.

The products involved in the voluntary recall include all varieties of Nestlé refrigerated Cookie Bar Dough, Cookie Dough Tub; Cookie Dough Tube; Limited Edition Cookie Dough items; Seasonal Cookie Dough and Ultimates Cookie Bar Dough. Nestle has published a complete list of recalled packages.

A number of the 66 people who have been sickened by the outbreak strain of E. coli reported eating the pre-mixed dough uncooked. But the FDA said cooking the dough is not recommended, either, because consumers might get the bacteria on their hands and on other cooking surfaces.

E. coli  O157:H7 is a potentially deadly organism that sheds a powerful toxin that can cause severe illness, especially in young children, the elderly and others with weakened immune systems. Symptoms include vomitting, abdominal cramping and diarrhea, often with bloody stools.

Individuals who have recently eaten prepackaged, refrigerated Toll House cookie dough and have experienced any of these symptoms should contact their doctor or health care provider immediately. Any such illnesses should be reported to state or local health authorities.

Of the 66 confirmed cases, 25 people were hospitalized, including seven individuals who developed a severe complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). No deaths have been reported.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys has already been in contact with potential victims of the current outbreak and represents E. coli O157:H7 victims from a previous outbreak. The firm is involved in practically every major outbreak of foodborne illness and has collected tens of millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning over the the years. It is in the process of compiling information for a possible lawsuit related to the Nestle cookie dough E. coli outbreak.

Firm founder and president Fred Pritzker has been an outspoken critic of the U.S. food safety system and an advocate for change. One of the firm's clients, Jeffrey Almer, testified before Congress this year about the pain and suffering that accompanies food poisoning. Jeff and his siblings lost their mother in the peanut butter Salmonella outbreak that erupted earlier this year. Pritzker Olsen represents the Almer next of kin and the families of two other women who died in the outbreak. The law firm has filed a wrongful death lawsuit  in the case against Peanut Corp. of America.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with E. coli O157:H7 after eating Nestle cookie dough, call an E. coli lawyer at Pitzker Olsen. The firm is ready to assist you at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or write to us online using one of our free case consultation forms.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has established a special web page to list all product recalls associated with the peanut butter Salmonella outbreak that has been associated with six deaths and more than 470 illnesses in 43 states.

Joining Kellogg Company with recalls of products containing potentially adulterated ingredients are HyVee Inc. of West Des Moines, Iowa; Perry's Ice Cream of Buffalo, N.Y.; and McKee Foods.

Fred Pritzker, whose law firm is one of the few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation, has initiated a Peanut Corporation of America lawsuit for the heirs of Shirley Mae Almers, whose death helped lead Minnesota health investigators to the apparent source of the 4-month-old outbreak.

Peanut Corporation of America has since announced a broad product recall and temporarily closed its South Georgia peanut butter and peanut paste facility where Salmonella Typhimurium bacteria has been confirmed to exist in unopened containers that came from the plant. The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continue to investigate for an exact match to the outbreak strain of Salmonella.

Minnesota officials found a genetic match between the outbreak strain and Salmonella they found in an open container of King Nut creamy peanut butter that was in use at Mrs. Almers' long-term care facility .

The Minnesota finding led investigators from all over the country to look at Peanut Corporation of America and Ohio-based King Nut Companies, a distributor of peanut butter made at the South Georgia plant. Pritzker told the CBS affiliate WCCO-TV in the Twin Cities that Mrs. Almer, who died Dec. 21, was the "canary in the coal mine'' for scientsts investigating the outbreak. The wrongful death lawsuit is being filed in Hennepin County District Court in Minneapolis.

                                                   Investigation and Recalls        

 The FDA and CDC have said peanut butter sold at grocery stores for home use has not been associated with the outbreak.The peanut butter in question was sold to commercial food service accounts like nursing homes or used as an ingredient in other foods. Therefore, federal officials have warned consumers not to eat crackers, cookies, candies, ice cream, cakes and other products containing peanut butter or peanut paste as ingredients until a complete list of unsafe items is created.

Food companies that used Peanut Corporation of America as a supplier are checking to see if their products were made with peanut butter or peanut paste that has been recalled.

Kellogg Company was the first food company to announce a recall -- Keebler and Austin snack crackers containing peanut butter. Kellogg also has recalled 7 million snack packs of Famous Amos peanut butter cookies and Keebler Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter cookies.

On Sunday, McKee Foods recalled two Little Debbie peanut butter snack crackers made for McKee by Kellogg.

Other recalls have been made by Perry's Ice Cream of Buffalo, N.Y., and HyVee Inc. of West Des Moines, Iowa. HyVee's recall includes Lunchbox Reeses Pieces cookies and Peanut Butter Reese's Pieces cookies. 

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In a fast-moving investigation of a deadly, ongoing  peanut butter Salmonella outbreak, state and federal health investigators are finding more and more evidence pointing to a Georgia peanut processing plant as the source of the problem.

The plant in Blakely, Georgia, has been shut down by its owner, Peanut Corporation of America, as more studies are conducted. On Friday, the company expanded a product recall to include all peanut butter made at the facility since August 8 and all peanut paste made there since September 26.

A total of six deaths have been associated with the outbreak: Two in Minnesota, two in Virginia, one in Idaho and one in Catawba County, North Carolina.

Leading food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker of Minneapolis has initiated a Salmonella wrongful death lawsuit  on behalf of the heirs of one of the victims, Shirley Mae Almer of Minnesota. The proceedings in Hennepin County District Court will be against Peanut Corporation of America and Ohio-based King Nut Companies, a distributor of peanut butter produced at the idled plant.

Pritzker, whose firm is one of the few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness, was quoted on ABC news affiliate KSTP-TV in the Twin Cities as saying . "This is a much more ominous situation than for you to go to your cupboard and look to see peanut butter. Most people won't know if they ate it in this outbreak."

Mrs. Almer, 72, was fighting cancer and living in a long-term care faciliity in Brainerd, Minn., when she consumed a piece of toast layered with King Nut creamy peanut butter in December.  She died Dec. 21. State health officials would later confirm that Salmonella Typhimurium contained in peanut butter at her nursing home was a genetic match to the outbreak strain that has sickened at least 453 people in 43 states.

The other Minnesotan whose death has been associated with the outbreak is Clifford Tousignant, 78, who also was living in Brainerd at a long-term care facility.

                                                               Investigation Update

Dr. Stephen Sundlof of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Safety Center and Dr. Robert Tauxe of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have provided an update of the outbreak investigation. Here are highlights from their press conference and other details:

• The outbreak is still considered very active and the number of cases will increase.
• The investigation is complicated because potentially contaminated peanut paste made at the Georgia plant was sold to many food companies as ingredients for baked goods and other products -- so the range of products making people sick has not yet been identified.
• Officials believe it is safe to eat  brand-name peanut butter bought at grocery stores. The contaminated peanut butter was sold to commercial food service accounts such as nursing homes, hospitals, school cafeterias and other institutions.
• State investigators in Georgia and Connecticut have isolated Salmonella bacteria in unopened tubs of peanut butter produced at the Blakely plant and are testing it to see if it matches the outbreak strain.
• Minnesota officials already have matched Salmonella from an open container of King Nut peanut butter to the outbreak strain.
• The virulence of the outbreak strain is typical -- serious but not more serious than normal.
• The Salmonella bacteria is lying dormant in the contaminated peanut butter and coming to life and multiplying once consumed.
• The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee has opened an inquiry and has requested inspection reports and other records from the plant in Georgia.
• Kellogg Company has announced a formal recall of Keebler and Austin brand snack crackers containing peanut butter as well as certain baked goods. The recall includes snack-size packs of Famous Amos peanut butter cookies and Keebler Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter cookies. The Georgia plant was one of Kellogg's suppliers of peanut paste.

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Minnesota health investigators have found preliminary evidence that could tie five-pound tubs of King Nut brand creamy peanut butter to the Salmonella outbreak that has sickened almost 400 people in 42 states.

Thirty of the 388 confirmed cases in the outbreak are in Minnesota, where a woman in her 70s died after getting sick from the bacteria. Ten of the Minnesota cases were in nursing homes and 11 people infected by the bacteria were hospitalized, state health officials have said.

When the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak was first reported earlier this week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it was working with other agencies to find the cause. Late Friday, the Minnesota Department of Health issued a news release urging restaurants, nursing homes, hospitals, schools and other institutional kitchens not to serve King Nut peanut butter.

The advisory was issued because preliminary lab testing of the product, which isn't normally sold at retail stores, indicated the presence of Salmonella with the same genetic fingerprint as the bacteria in the national outbreak. The peanut butter has not yet been linked directly to the national outbreak, but a Minnesota Department of Health spokesman told theStar Tribune newspaper that additional tests next week are likely to confirm the connection.

According to the CDC, Minnesota has the fourth most number of Salmonella Typhimurium cases in the outbreak. Only California with 55, Ohio with 53 and Massachusetts with 39 rank higher. The first known cases began to originate in early September.

Regarding the one death in Minnesota associated with the outbreak, a Minnesota Department of Health official has said the patient had "many other health conditions, so we don't know to what extent the Salmonella infection contributed to her death.''

What follows is a list of states involved in the outbreak and the corresponding number of confirmed Salmonella Typhimurium cases reported to the CDC: Alaska 1, Arkansas 3, Arizona 8, California 55, Colorado 9, Connecticut 6, Georgia 5, Hawaii 1, Iowa 1, Idaho 10, Illinois 4, Indiana 3, Kansas 2, Kentucky 3, Massachusetts 39, Maryland 7, Maine 3, Michigan 20, Minnesota 30, Missouri 8, North Carolina 1, North Dakota 10, Nebraska 1,New Hampshire 10, New Jersey 13, Nevada 6, New York 12, Ohio 53, Oklahoma 2, Oregon 5, Pennsylvania 12, Rhode Island 3, South Dakota 2, Tennessee 9, Texas 5, Utah 3, Virginia 12, Vermont 4, Washington 11, Wisconsin 3, West Virginia 2, Wyoming 2. 

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Thursday it is working "vigorously'' to identify the specific contaminated product that is causing a national outbreak of Salmonella Thyphimurium.

The CDC's written update on the 4-month-old outbreak did not specify what food or foods are being looked at as a potential cause. As of Wednesday, the same strain of Salmonella Thyphimurium had sickened 388 people in 42 states, the CDC said. The earliest recorded onset of an illness during the outbreak is Sept. 3. The CDC said the ages of the afflicted range from less than 1 year old to 103 years old. Approximately 18 percent of people sickened by the bacterial disease have been hospitalized, the CDC said.

The CDC said it is working with various state health officials and two federal agencies --  the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration -- to find the cause. Among states offering assistance with the investigation is Minnesota, where a team of researchers is conducting detailed standardized interviews with persons who were ill.

Doug Schultz, a spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Health, told the Center for Infectious Disease, Research & Policy (CIDRAP) on Thursday that one death in the state is associated with the outbreak. The patient was a woman in her 70s who had "many other health conditions,'' so officials do not know to what extent the Salmonella infection contributed to her death, Schultz said.

Schultz said of 30 confirmed cases in Minnesota, 11 patients were hospitalized and 10 were in nursing homes. The CDC said it would provide its next update on the outbreak investigation on Jan. 15.

Health officials in Ohio, where 50 cases had been reported as of Wednesday, were the first to go public with information about the outbreak early this week. The only other state with more cases is California, with 51.

Based on news reports, here's a partial list of states involved in the outbreak and how many cases they have reported in connection with the outbreak: Massachusetts 39, Michigan 20, Pennsylvania 12, New Hampshire 10, Idaho 10, Colorado 9, Maryland 7, North Dakota 7, Texas 5, Illinois 4.

Most persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts four to seven days and often does not require treatment. There is a risk of severe illness for young, old and immuno-compromised persons. When severe infection occurs, Salmonella may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other body sites, where it can cause death if the person is not promptly treated with antibiotics.

Attorneys at PritzkerLaw have years of experience in food poisoning lawsuits. Senior partner Fred Pritzker is currently lead attorney in a major food poisoning lawsuit involving victims from several states. If you or someone you love has been hospitalized after Salmonella poisoning or any other food poisoning, contact PritzkerLaw for a free consultation regarding your legal rights and remedies. You can reach us by calling toll-free at 1-888-377-8900, e-mailing info@pritzkerlaw.com, or filling in our online consultation form. 

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), along with health officials from several states, is trying to identify the source of an outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium that has sickened more than 300 people.

Reports varied slightly Wednesday on the scope of the outbreak. USA Today, which talked to CDC Deputy Chief of Enteric Diseases Frederick Angulo, reported that 388 people in 42 states have been made ill over the past three months. Some have been sent to the hospital, the newspaper reported.

The Ohio Department of Health issued a press release saying that Ohio ranks second in the nation for number of confirmed cases in the outbreak with 50. In Ohio, the first known illnesses originated in October.

Ohio officials said they were participating in the CDC's multi-state investigation to find the cause of the outbreak. The cases match each other by their DNA fingerprint, the Ohio Department of Health said.

Angulo told USA Today that the "lead hypothesis'' is chicken, but he added that it could be hard to prove or trace back because so many people eat chicken.

Doug Schultz, a spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Health, told the Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP) that Minnesota has 30 cases linked to the national outbreak. More are expected. Schultz told CIDRAP that Minnesota is helping to look for a cause to the outbreak and has a team of researchers conducting case-control studies.

Consumption of food contaminated by Salmonella bacteria can cause Salmonellosis. Symptoms of the disease include non-bloody diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment.

In rare cases, diarrheal illness from Salmonella infection can be serious enough to require hospitalization. Although very rare, some cases of Salmonellosis have led to death in some patients. There are many different types of Salmonella bacteria. Salmonella Typhimurium is considered common, but it can cause Typhoid Fever.

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After reviewing the circumstances around  food poisoning in five California prison inmates who drank illicit, homemade pruno, a group of health experts wants convicts across the country to be warned that jailhouse hooch carries the risk of botulism.

Writing this month in a journal about emerging infectious diseases published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the officials said pruno is popular in prisons and that it is "somewhat surprising that botulism caused by pruno consumption has not been previously reported.''

The group of researchers, led by Dr. Duc Vugia, chief of the Infectious Diseases Branch of the California Department of Public Health, focused on foodborne botulism that occurred among inmates at two California prisons in 2004 and 2005.

In the 2004 case, four inmates were hospitalized, two of whom were put on respirators to combat paralysis -- one of the symptoms of the disease. An investigation found that the four prisoners all drank from the same two-gallon batch of pruno, also known as prison wine or jailhouse juice.

One of the hospitalized inmates had secretly brewed the concoction over five or six days using unpeeled potatoes smuggled from the kitchen, apples from lunches, one old peach, jelly and ketchup. The four who became sick from the drink later described it to a prison nurse as being "magenta in color" and "smelling like baby-poop.''

The researchers said the same type of Clostridium botulinum found in the sick inmates also was found in a drinking cup that contained traces of the pruno.

The second case involved just one inmate in Monterey County, a 30-year-old male who was admitted to a local hospital in a condition too weak to breathe on his own. The patient admitted to making and drinking pruno in prison and potatoes had been part of his mash.

Researchers said the potatoes in both batches of hooch could have been the source of botulinum toxin. They wrote in their report that Clostridium botulinum is commonly found in the soil and its spores have been found on raw potatoes.

The report said the lack of reporting of similar cases may be due to the fact that potatoes are not generally used in the making of pruno in prison.

"Nonetheless, with more than 2 million inmates in prisons and jails in the United States, this illicit homemade alcoholic drink may put more inmates at risk for botulism,'' the report concluded. 

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Companies and regulators should consider studying whether microwave cooking is safe for certain not-ready-to-eat frozen foods, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said this week in a report on the 2007 national Salmonella outbreak associated with Banquet pot pies.

CDC investigators, writing in the agency's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, expressed concern that microwave cooking instructions on product labels aren't readily followed, especially because most consumers don't know the wattage of their microwave ovens, leading to incomplete cooking. The report also noted the propensity of consumers to deviate from label instructions for microwave cooking, a practice made risky by the inclusion of raw ingredients in some not-ready-to-eat products.

In the 2007 Salmonella outbreak associated with Banquet turkey pot pies and other pot pies from the same ConAgra Foods Inc. plant, the frozen meals contained pre-cooked meat and uncooked flour crusts, according to the report. Furthermore, the report said, the pot pies might have been cross-contaminated by raw poultry pastes that entered the plant. The pastes often harbor Salmonella. But investigators noted that the precise source of the Salmonella poisoning has not been found.

The outbreak was first detected June 6, 2007, when a cluster of four  Salmonella infections were identified by the Pennsylvania Department of Health as having the same genetic fingerprint according to pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Eventually, 401 cases in 41 states were confirmed in subsequent investigations showing onsets of illness that carried through Dec. 11, 2007, with a peak in September.

Thirty-two percent of all ill persons were hospitalized. The report said: "Further investigation determined that 77 percent of patients who ate these pies cooked them in microwave ovens and that consumer confusion regarding microwaving instructions might have resulted in a failure to cook the product properly.''

The report said that microwave cooking instructions on the Banquet products may have been confusing because different parts of the package recommended different cooking times. ConAgra initiated a Salmonella-related product recall for all nine brands of pot pies made at the plant and then amended labeling of the products before resumption of production.

CDC investigators found that of the patients who said they cooked their pot pies in a microwave oven, only 23 knew their oven's wattage. Recommended cooking times vary by wattage. The report said consumer adherence to microwave cooking instructions on food packages could improve if output wattages were clearly and prominently listed on the appliances.

The report said a breakthrough in the investigation came on Oct. 4, 2007. That's when the Minnesota Department of Health determined that four case patients had consumed Banquet pot pies during the week before they got sick. From there, CDC's outbreak team started questioning patients about consumption of pot pies and confirmed the correlation. 

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has lifted the Salmonella warning on red and Roma tomatoes:

FDA officials believe that consumers may enjoy all types of fresh tomatoes available on the domestic market, without concern of becoming infected with Salmonella Saintpaul. The agency is removing the warning that has been in place since June 7, which states that consumers should avoid certain types of fresh tomatoes due to a potential connection to the Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak

Consumers may resume enjoying any type of fresh tomato, including raw red plum, raw red Roma, and raw red round tomatoes.

The Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak that has sickened over 1000 people was initially associated with tomatoes.  Health officials were not able to confirm a link between tomatoes and the illnesses, particularly when people continued to get sick.

Some evidence suggests that the source of the outbreak may have been jalapeño and Serrano peppers. The FDA is encouraging people in high risk groups (the very young, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems) to avoid consuming those items:

While we are changing our consumer guidance about tomatoes, we reiterate our guidance to consumers that those in vulnerable populations (infants, the elderly, and immune-compromised people) should avoid eating jalapeño and serrano peppers as the investigation continues.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that many, but not all, of the people who have become ill during the outbreak also reported eating jalapeño or serrano peppers.

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