Hamburger E. coli Infection and Risks
In 1994, the USDA declared E. coli O157:H7 an adulterant in raw hamburger and the sale of raw ground beef known to contain this pathogen was prohibited.
To this day various studies have shown that eating undercooked hamburgers is a major risk factor for sporadic E. coli infections and outbreaks of the disease.
.jpg)
At home, the best way to protect against hamburger E. coli infection is to cook the burgers until a digital read-out thermometer shows they have reached 160 degrees at their core.
When you can't use a thermometer or you are eating out, studies have show that you can still decrease your risk of hamburger E. coli by ensuring that the inside of the hamburger is not pink. Because ground beef sometimes turns brown prematurely, hamburger that is not pink on the inside may still not be adequately cooked.
Going from research, if you are eating a hamburger outside your home, you reduce your chance of getting hamburger E. coli poisoning if the meal is from a fast food restaurant chain where cooking temperature often is automated.
E. coli O157:H7 is a pathogen that colonizes in the intestines of cattle without harming them. At slaughter, the bacteria can contaminate muscle meat, sometimes from a nicked intestine or during the removal of the animal's hide, which can be smeared with feces.
O157:H7 is a strain of E. coli that produces large quantities of a potent toxin that forms in humans and causes severe damage to the lining of the intestine. The disease produced by the bacteria is called Hemorrhagic Colitis and it can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of kidney failure in young children..jpg)
Nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 70,000 Americans each year are infected with E. coli O157:H7, many of whom are hospitalized. HUS or thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) develop in five to 15 percent of cases. A person of any age can develop these complications, but children are most susceptible to HUS.
Besides kidney failure, HUS can lead to clotting, heart problems, central nervous system interruption, coma, stroke, brain damage and paralysis.
If you or a loved one has experienced an E. coli infection or HUS-TTP, you may be part of an outbreak that is being tracked by public health officials.
For answers to legal questions about compensation for illness, call food poisoning law firm Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.
A hamburger E. coli lawyer at our firm can provide you with a free case consultation and guide you through the legal system if we accept your case. We currently represent HUS victims of ground beef E. coli outbreaks and are involved in practically every major outbreak of foodbone illness.
