Lawyer Investigating E. coli-HUS Outbreak Associated with the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh
National food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker is investigating an E. coli outbreak associated with the North Carolina State Fair that continues to grow. To date, over 20 people have been sickened, most of them children. North Carolina counties with E. coli victims include: Cleveland, Durham, Franklin, Johnston, Sampson and Wake counties.
Several children have developed a severe complication of an E. coli infection called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of kidney failure in children in the United States. Children with HUS are generally hospitalized for weeks or months and many require future kidney transplants.
An epidemiological investigation into the source of the outbreak found that most of the people sickened attended the North Carolina State Fair before becoming ill. State and local health officials are investigating the possible source of the outbreak. In 2004, an E. coli outbreak linked to petting zoo at the North Carolina State Fair sickened 108 people. Fifteen of those patients developed HUS.
In this outbreak, though, some of the E. coli victims did not visit the petting zoo or touch animals. If food served at the fair was the source of the outbreak, it was probably something that was improperly cooked or something that is not cooked on site, like ice cream.
National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is accepting cases for a possible E. coli lawsuit. Our E. coli lawyers currently represents E. coli victims and is one of the very few law firms in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation. Free case consultations are available at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or submit your contact information online and an attorney will call you.
