Schnucks Pulls Lettuce and Strawberries from Its Salad Bars in Response to St. Louis Area E. coli Outbreak
An antibiotic-resistant strain of E. coli is the cause of an outbreak that has stricken at least 22 people in the St. Louis area.There are 16 confirmed cases in St. Louis County, two in Jefferson County, two in St. Charles County, one in St. Louis City and one in St. Clair County. At least six people have been hospitalized.
Missouri health officials have determined that the source is foodborne. A specific source has not been identified, but local salad bars are under investigation. Grocery stores have not been asked to pull items from their shelves, but at least one chain is doing so. Schnucks spokeswoman Lori Willis told Patch that it has pulled some items, including lettuce and strawberries, from its salad bars.
One thing that is known is that the E. coli strain at the heart of the outbreak is virulent and does not respond to antibiotics. Last year, St. Louis County saw a total of five cases of E. coli infection Dr. Delores Gunn, director of the Saint Louis County Department of Health, told St. Louis Public Radio. With this outbreak, she said, there were 16 confirmed cases in less than 72 hours.
Complications of E. coli include hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) or TTP HUS, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, which can cause kidney failure, stroke, heart attacks, and brain injuries. And even a person with a mild case of E. coli can be at long-term risk for hypertension and kidney problems.
National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., has assigned an E. coli lawyer to investigate the St. Louis outbreak and the firm is accepting cases for a possible St. Louis E. coli lawsuit. Our legal group 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.
Sources: http://www.stltoday.com and patch.com.
