Chattanooga E. coli and Ryan's Restaurant
The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department in Chattanooga, Tennessee, has confirmed that 7 of the 8 people that have E. coli O157:H7 infections in the Chattanooga area ate at the Ryan's restaurant on Hixon Pike. According to a story on News Channell 9 in Chattanooga, "Although Ryan's was a common food source for most of these people who got sick, the health department has not LINKED it as the cause. Right now, they are working with the United States Department of Agriculture and tracing back sirloin products."
Three siblings are among those who contracted an E. coli infection.
Relatives say 18 month old Harley King's feeling great now. But his sisters, Alexis and Kelsey, are stilling feeling effects of the disease. Alexis and Harley ate off their grandmother's plate at the Hixson Pike Ryan's. This afternoon, NewsChannel 9 dug into the past report cards of this Ryan's.
The seven people who got sick reported eating there between July 8 and July 20.
During that time, the Health Department noted the critical violation of food temperature. The restaurant scored a 79. After seeing our story Wednesday, Kimberly McCarter called. Two years ago her daughter Raigan, who was one then, got very sick after eating tuna salad off the same Ryan's food bar. McCarter recalled what happen when her daughter's fever approached 105 degrees. "So they called the health department because they have to call them every time there's a salmonella thing. And they went to the Ryan's and found that the Ryan's had the tuna that she ate was too warm and so we was in the hospital for four days."(Channel 9 News)
Beef may be responsible for this Tennessee E. coli outbreak. If the source of this outbreak is beef, the illnesses were totally preventable. If beef is contaminated with E. coli, it will be killed if it is cooked to 160º. When a restaurant serves beef, measures should be taken to ensure that any E. coli bacteria on the meat is killed. Employees should be trained in the dangers of E. coli poisoning and how to prevent it.
Pritzker | Ruohonen is a leading E. coli lawsuit law firm. The firm has recovered millions for victims of E. coli poisoning and other foodborne illnesses. To contact a lawyer at the firm for a free consultation, call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or e-mail fhp@pritzkerlaw.com.
Source: John Madewell, Health Department Wrapping Up E-Coli Investigation, News Channel 9 (Tennessee), August 31, 2006.