Nebraska Death is Third in Spinach-E. coli Outbreak
Ruby Trautz, 81, of Bellevue, Nebraska, is the third confirmed death of the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to fresh spinach that has sickened nearly 200 people. Ms. Trautz was misdiagnosed and died in August, according to news reports. Only after her family pressed for E. coli testing was the truth uncovered:
Dr. Thomas Safranek, epidemiologist for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, was cited as saying the woman, Ruby Trautz, 81, died on Aug. 31 at a hospital in Omaha, after eating fresh spinach contaminated with the same strain of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria as the others.
The announcement, which came only after Mrs. Trautz's family pressed for additional testing and even sought help from a private laboratory, raised questions of whether other cases connected to this E. coli outbreak might have gone unreported, public health officials said.
Dr. Patricia Griffin, a microbiologist and a top epidemiologist of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which on Friday confirmed that the death was linked to the same E. coli strain, was cited as saying that public health officials believe that for every E. coli case reported, 20 go unreported, adding, "In this outbreak, as in most outbreaks, there were many more people ill who, for one reason or another, were not confirmed as having the illness." (New York Times)
As in Ms. Trautz's case, doctors sometimes misdiagnose E. coli. This is particularly dangerous if antibiotics are prescribed. If a person with an E. coli infection takes antibiotics, that person is at greater risk of developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a leading cause of kidney failure. HUS is fatal in 3% to 5% of cases. If you or a family member ever has bloody diarrhea, have your doctor test for E. coli. If E. coli is found, contact an experienced E. coli lawyer immediately.
Pritzker | Ruohonen is a leader in food poisoning law. In a recent case, the firm developed legal theories to ensure that victims would be compensated for injuries even though it was not clear which of two processors was at fault. As a result of the efforts of lawyer Fred Pritzker and his team at Pritzker | Ruohonen, the case settled for over 6 million dollars. To contact Fred Pritzker, call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900, e-mail fhp@pritzkerlaw.com or fill out our online, attorney-consultation form.
Source: Libby Sander, Nebraska woman's death brings to 3 those attributed to spinach, New York Times, October 7, 2006.
