Five Hospitalized in Huntsville E. coli Outbreak
Five people with confirmed cases of E. coli have been hospitalized. The following quote from the Huntsville Times makes this more than a statistic:
Five-year-old Samuel Coggin of Meridianville was taken to Vanderbilt by ambulance Sunday and may have to undergo dialysis, said his grandfather, James Cole. Kidney failure is one of the most serious symptoms of E. coli infection.
"He can't eat; he won't eat," Cole said today. "The doctors have told us (E. coli) is much worse on the very young and the very old, since their immune systems aren't as strong."
E. coli seriously sickens and kills people, primarily the very young and the elderly. Medically, there is little that can be done. Even though E. coli is a bacterial infection, antibiotics are not recommended by the CDC because antibiotics may increase the risk of developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of kidney failure in children in the United States.
When an E. coli victim develops hemolytic uremic syndrome, recovery can take months. About 30% of HUS patients have permanent kidney damage and about 5% die. Samuel Coggin is fighting for his life. The other 4 people are most likely also severely ill.
In addition to the 5 hospitalized people , there are at least 9 others with confirmed E. coli. This E. coli outbreak may be linked to a Huntsville restaurant, Little Rosie’s Taqueria. [Update to the following information: Health officials have announced that the source of this outbreak is lettuce contaminated with E. coli.] Health officials are still looking for the source of the outbreak, which could be food, water or an infected food handler who did not wash his or her hands adequately. Even if the source is not found, a restaurant is liable for any illness linked to its food. Finding the source is important for prevention, but not critical for a lawsuit against Little Rosie’s Taqueria.
Pritzker Law, one of the leading E. coli litigation law firms in the United States, vigorously pursues claims against restaurants and others responsible for E. coli poisoning. We do not rush to file lawsuits during E. coli outbreaks for our own marketing purposes. We take the time to gather evidence and thoughtfully develop a case. We always do what is best for our clients. To contact the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm’s online consultation form for review by an E. coli lawyer.
