Michigan E. coli Outbreak in Washtenaw County Under Investigation
Public health officials in Washtenaw County, Michigan, around Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor, are actively investigating an outbreak of food poisoning thought to be caused by E. coli.
The Michigan E. coli outbreak currently includes 10 cases, but other probable cases also are under investigation. The announcement comes from Dr. Diana Torres-Burgo, medical director for Washtenaw County Public Health.
Dr. Torres-Burgo said investigators are doing everything they can to find the source of the Washtenaw County outbreak. Victims have experience abdominal cramping followed by diarrhea that progressively worsens and often turns bloody. Ill persons have not experience fever, she said.
Anyone with similar symptoms should seek medical attention immediately and ask to be tested for E. coli poisoning. For answers to legal questions about the Michigan outbreak, call national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.
A lawyer with years of experience representing E. coli O157:H7 victims will provide you with a free case consultation and encourage you to report your illness to the county if you haven't done so already. Public reporting is important to help prevent more people from getting sick.
E. coli O157:H7 infection is especially dangerous for young children, older adults and people who have weakened immune systems. In five to 15 percent of cases, patients develop hemolytic uremic syndrome or an associated illness known as thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). These conditions are life-threatening and often leave victims with long-term medical conditions that can be disabling.
Michigan authorities in Washtenaw County are still searching for the source of this outbreak. While contaminated ground beef is the leading cause of E. coli outbreaks, many other foods or water also are capable of carrying the pathogen.
Pritzker Olsen is starting to collect information for its own investigation of the outbreak around Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. If you have information about the possible cause of these illnesses, please contact us.
