Two Tri Cities Child E. coli Cases Investigated
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Health officials in the Tri Cities area of northeast Tennessee are investigating the cause of two life-threatening child E. coli cases in the past month.
Both children are being treated at Johnson City Medical Center, where one is in pediatric intensive care and another was scheduled late this week to receive a blood transfusion. Certain serotypes of E. coli produce a toxin in humans that can cause hemorrhagic colitis or lead to a serious complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of kidney failure in children in the U.S.
WJHL-TV and news website TriCities.com are reporting that the situation has prompted investigations by the Tennessee Department of Health and the Northeast Tennessee Health Office. At this time, no source has been identified, but the family of the 4-year-old boy who was scheduled for a transfusion suspects he may have contracted the bacteria at a cow exhibit at the Appalachian Fair.
Petting zoos and animal fairs have been the cause of past outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7, including an outbreak early this year in Colorado linked to the Western National Livestock Show.
National law firm Pritzker Olsen attorneys is currently representing victims of the Denver livestock show E. coli outbreak and has years of experience representing families beset with the stressful and threatening realities of E. coli and HUS in children.
To contact a lawyer at our firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or receive a free case consultation by completing our online contact form.
