Wisconsin Hardest Hit in E. coli Outbreak Linked to Bagged Spinach
Wisconsin now has 40 confirmed cases of E. coli O157:H7 bacterial infection linked to spinach. These are not just statistics--these are people. An Associated Press story relates the suffering of one Wisconsin family:
Anne Grintjes, whose 6-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter fell ill during a multi-state E. coli outbreak linked to tainted spinach, can't even look at produce now without cringing.The boy spent 10 days in Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, battling infection and kidney failure.
His mother was cited as saying the boy ate fresh bagged spinach before he started getting sick Sept. 2, adding, "He couldn't move, he couldn't walk. He was yellow. The little boy that he was, you know, was there behind the sick eyes but the disease was taking over his body. He was fighting for his life."
Now he's recovering, while his sister deals with symptoms that started last week, their mother said. Both children tested positive for E. coli.
Kidney failure associated with an E. coli infection is a result of hemolytic uremic syndrome, the leading cause of kidney failure in children in the United States. Hemoliytic uremic syndrome (HUS) has a mortality rate of 5%. Children who survive HUS often suffer from life-long, adverse health consequences.
Pritzker | Ruohonen & Associates, P.A., is one of the few in the United States that practices extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation, including E. coli lawsuits. The firm has collected millions of dollars on behalf of victims of E. coli O157:H7 and other foodborne outbreaks. The firm has a national food poisoning lawsuit practice and represents clients throughout the United States. To contact Fred Pritzker, call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900, e-mail fhp@pritzkerlaw.com, or fill out our online consultation form.
Source: Dinesh Ramde, Wis. children suffer spinach illnesses, Associated Press, September 20, 2006.
