Seven Maryland E. coli 0157:H7 cases are under investigation and a Baltimore television news station reports that a potential association exists with the consumption of unpasteurized Baugher's apple cider.
ABC2 News reports that three of seven cases have resulted in hospitalization and that the cluster of infectious disease is being probed by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Baugher's farm and restaurant of Westminster in Carroll County also features a fruit market and bakery. ABC2 News said the orchard has issued a voluntary recall of all its apple cider due to its potential for contaminants. No other Baugher's products are affected, the station said.
Drinking unpasteurized milk, juice or cider is one proven way people sometimes become infected by E. coli 0157:H7, a potentially deadly human pathogen that causes bloody diarrhea and can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of kidney failures in children worldwide.
E. coli O157 lives in the intestines of healthy cattle and other animals. E. coli O157 can be found in water, food, soil, or on surfaces that have been contaminated with animal feces. Symptoms usually last 5 to 10 days. People with mild symptoms usually recover on their own without treatment. Antibiotics are not helpful for treating E. coli O157 infections, and may even increase the likelihood of developing HUS. Antidiarrheal agents should not be used either.
If you or a loved one has been sickened in this outbreak or have symptoms of E. coli infection, contact a physician immediately and they will alert the health department of any confirmed illness. For answers to legal questions about compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering and future harms that may be related to the long-term effects of
E. coli, contact an experienced
E. coli lawyer at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., a leading national food safety law firm that represent HUS E. coli victims and others who fall ill to
E. coli outbreaks and other foodborne illness clusters. For a free case consultation call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.
