The Ambassador Restaurant in Houghton, MI Linked to E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak
Seven people contracted E. coli infections after eating at The Ambassador, a restaurant in Houghton, Michigan, according to the Western U.P. Health Department. Four of the Ambassador restaurant E. coli victims were hospitalized. Health officials did not disclose whether any of the victims have hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe complication of an E. coli O157:H7 infection that often causes kidney failure.
After conducting an investigation of the outbreak, Western U.P. health officials determined that a sick employee at the restaurant was responsible for spreading E. coli to the restaurant patrons. A further investigation should be done to find out the following:
- Why was the food handler working while ill?
- What was the restaurant’s policy regarding ill employees?
- Did that policy encourage workers to come to work sick?
- Did management at The Ambassador know the employee was ill?
- What was the source of the employee’s E. coli infection?
- What were the restaurant’s hand washing policies?
- Did the employee wash his or her hands prior to handling the food?
In most cases, a restaurant is responsible for E. coli illnesses caused by a sick employee. Attorney Fred Pritzker is available for a free consultation regarding E. coli outbreak investigations and lawsuits. Because it is important that all relevant evidence be gathered as soon as possible, our attorneys get to work on a case as soon as they are hired. The expense of the investigation and litigation are carried by our law firm until there is a settlement or verdict in the case, i.e., we are not paid unless you win.
Raw Milk E. coli Risk Prompts Pride & Joy Creamery Recall of Raw Milk Sold in Seattle, Tacoma, Kent, Mountlake Terrace, Mt. Vernon, Bothell, Everett and Federal Way
Pride & Joy Creamery of Granger, Washington is recalling raw fluid milk because it may be contaminated with E. coli bacteria. The unpasteurized milk was sold at the farm and distributed through nine retail outlets in King, Pierce, Snohomish and Skagit counties.
The recall was initiated after sampling by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) discovered that the raw milk was contaminated with Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli. Contact our E. coli lawyers for a free consultation.
WSDA and other public health officials are exploring the possibility that there has been human illness linked to this milk.
Pride & Joy Raw Cow’s Milk bearing expiration dates of 9/30/2011 and 9/31/11 has been recalled. The milk is sold only in gallon, half gallon and quart containers. Recalled raw milk was sold from the on-farm store at 2145 Liberty Road in Granger, WA and from the following locations:
Sno-isle
804 Grand Avenue
Everett, WA 98201
Phone: 425-259-3798
Truhealth
18001 Bothell-Everet
Suite 109
Bothell, WA 98012
Phone: 425-415-8410
Marlenes Market
2951 S. 38th ST.
Tacoma, WA 98409
Phone 253-472-4080
Marlenes Market
2565 s. Gateway Center Place
Federal Way, WA 98003
Phone; 253-839-0933
Skagit Valley Food
202 S. 1st Street
Mt. Vernon, WA 98273
Phone; 360-336-9777
Manna Mills
21705 66th Ave, West
Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043
Phone: 425-775-3479
Madison Market
1600 Madison
Seattle, WA 98122
Phone: 206-329-1545
Nature’s Market
26011 104th Ave, SE
Kent, WA 98030
Phone: 253-854-5395
Sunshine Corner Nutrition
15220 SE 272th, Suite F
Kent, WA 98042
Phone: 253-631-1069
Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infections may cause severe diarrhea, stomach cramps and bloody stool. Symptoms generally appear three to four days after exposure, but can take as long as ten days to appear. In severe cases, an E. coli infection can cause the following:
- Severe Dehydration
- Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome – Kidney Failure
- Hemorrhagic Colitis
- Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura
- E. coli Wrongful Death.
If someone has been sickened after drinking Pride & Joy Creamery raw milk, contact an attorney immediately to protect legal rights. Consumers who have purchased Pride & Joy raw milk with expiration dates of 9/30/2011 and 9/31/11 are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund if no one has been sickened by the milk. The incubation period for E. coli can be as long as 10 days.
Green County, Wisconsin E. coli O157:H7 and HUS Outbreak
When a child is lost to something as preventable as E. coli poisoning, it is appalling. For too long, profit has come before safety at many companies that process food. We heard from a former manager at one food processor how the CEO did not want testing done on a product because he knew it would come back positive and he didn’t want a recall. This is happening in our country.
Now E. coli O157:H7 has killed another young child. This time it is in Wisconsin, where state and Green County officials are trying to track down the source of the E. coli outbreak that has also sickened eight others. Two of the victims of the outbreak developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), sometimes referred to as E. coli kidney failure or E. coli in the kidneys. E. coli-HUS is the leading cause of kidney failure in children in the United States.
According to The Capital Times, a 20-month-old girl from Green County died Sunday at UW Children’s Hospital in Madison after being admitted about a week earlier.
All of the victims of this E. coli outbreak are from Green County, but not all from the same area of Green County.
Pritzker Olsen E. coli attorneys have a national practice and have won millions for E. coli victims throughout the United States, including Wisconsin. Green County cities and towns: Albany, Brodhead, Brooklyn, Browntown, Juda, Monroe, Monticello, and New Glarus.
Bravo Farms Gouda Cheese – Costco: E. coli Outbreak Update
Pritzker Olsen attorneys are investigating a Costco and Bravo Farms gouda cheese lawsuit for E. coli and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) personal injury. To date, the E. coli outbreak has sickened 33 people in Arizona (15), Colorado (10), California (3), New Mexico (3) and Nevada (2). There have been 15 reported hospitalizations, 1 case of HUS, and no deaths.
“The physical, financial and emotional burdens of an E. coli infection can be devastating for victims and their families, and I’ve seen this happen too often in my practice as an E. coli lawyer,” said food poisoning attorney Fred Pritzker. “Our law firm is investigating this outbreak and what led to the contamination of the cheese. We are also concerned about cross contamination.”
CDC is collaborating with the FDA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and public health officials in the five states to investigate this multistate E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. Through pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) subtyping, the pathogen has been identified as a rare strain of E. coli O157:H7 that has never been seen before in the PulseNet database. PulseNet is the national subtyping network that performs molecular surveillance of foodborne infections.
Laboratory testing had confirmed the presence of E. coli 0157:H7, matching the outbreak strain, in two opened packages of Bravo Farms Dutch Style Gouda Cheese purchased at Costco and taken from two different case patient’s homes. Additionally, preliminary laboratory testing conducted on an unopened package of Bravo Farms Dutch Style Gouda Cheese obtained from a Costco retail location has identified E. coli O157:H7. Further laboratory testing is being conducted to confirm these results.
The FDA has collected Bravo Farms product samples for testing to identify potential sources of contamination. The additional investigative activities include:
- Conducting surveillance to identify additional illnesses that could be related to the outbreak.
- Gathering and testing food products that may be contaminated with bacteria.
- Following epidemiologic leads gathered from interviews with patients, food purchase information, or from patterns of processing, production and/or distribution of suspected products.
- Investigating the distribution chain to ascertain the point of contamination.
For more information call an experienced E. coli lawyer with PritzkerOlsen, P.A. at 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free) or submit our free consultation form.
Bravo Farms Gouda Cheese Recall for Possible E. coli Contamination AZ, CA, CO, NM, NV
A recall has been issued for Bravo Farms Dutch-style Gouda cheese. The cheese was available for sale and free samplings were offered at Costco stores in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada. The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Disease Control (CDC), Costco Wholesale Corporation (Costco), and our law firm are warning consumers not to consume Bravo Farms Dutch Style Gouda cheese (Costco item #40654).
The Bravo Farms Gouda cheese recall was prompted by an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 that has sickened at least 25 people in:
- Arizona (11)
- California (1)
- Colorado (8)
- New Mexico (3)
- Nevada (2)
Consumers who have any of this cheese should not eat it. The cheese should be returned to the place of purchase or dispose of it carefully to prevent people or animals from consuming it.
Pritzker Olsen E. coli lawyers are monitoring this Costco cheese E. coli outbreak. For a free case consultation, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our free consultation form.
Our firm is one of the few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation. We currently represent E. coli HUS victims and have years of experience representing victims of food poisoning against large national retailers and food manufacturers.
E. coli Contamination
With all of the regulations and inspections, one would think our food supply would be free from E. coli contamination. That is not true. Outbreaks and recalls happen frequently.
Contamination of cheese can occur at many points along the production line, including:
- through the use of raw milk in the production of cheese
- equipment not being cleaned and sterilized properly
- employees not using proper hygiene
The FDA and CDC have repeatedly warned the public about consuming raw milk and raw milk products.
“Raw milk is milk from cows, sheep, or goats that has not been pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria. This raw, unpasteurized milk can carry dangerous bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, which are responsible for causing numerous foodborne illnesses.
These harmful bacteria can seriously affect the health of anyone who drinks raw milk, or eats foods made from raw milk. However, the bacteria in raw milk can be especially dangerous to pregnant women, children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.”
The FDA, CDC and Costco are working together on the investigation and will update the public with more information as soon as it is available. As more information becomes available, the recommendations to consumers may change. The FDA, in conjunction with the state of California, has initiated an investigation at Bravo Farms.
Bravo Farms is located on Highway 99 in Traver, California. Their Dutch-style Gouda is handmade into small wheels and dipped in red wax. According to the Bravo Farms website, they use raw milk in the production of their cheeses.
PritzkerOlsen, P. A. has a national E. coli litigation practice. Our lawyers have been interviewed by The Associated Press, CNN, CBS, FOX, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Lawyers USA and others. Fred Pritzker is listed in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Call 1-888-377-8900 toll-free or submit our free consultation form for information about a possible E. coli lawsuit.
Costco Cheese E. coli Outbreak From Bravo Farms Gouda
Costco cheese E. coli outbreak news updates from food poisoning attorneys at Pritzker Olsen will be posted throughout the day. Bravo Farms Dutch Style Gouda cheese, (Costco item40654) has been associated with an E. coli O157:H7, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.
According to the CDC:
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention join Costco Wholesale Corporation (Costco), in warning consumers not to consume Bravo Farms Dutch Style Gouda cheese (Costco item 40654), as this cheese may be associated with an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections. The cheese was available for sale, and free samples were offered for in-store tasting at Costco stores in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada.”
The number of E. coli food poisoning cases reported across the country so far are as follows: AZ (11), CA (1), CO (8), NM (3) and NV (2). E. coli O157:H7 can lead to a life-threatening complication called E. coli HUS, or hemolytic uremic syndrome that can lead to kidney failure, other serious personal injury and wrongful death.
Food poisoning lawyers at Pritzker Olsen attorneys hire the best epidemiologists, microbiologists and other experts to win millions of dollars for E. coli food poisoning victims. Contact a Costco E. coli attorney about a Bravo Farms lawsuit from E. coli contaminated Gouda cheese.
Hartmann Testifies Regarding Dairy Linked to E. coli Outbreak
Dairy farmer Mike Hartmann testified in a Sibley County, Minnesota courtroom yesterday in an attempt to recover food confiscated by state officials during an investigation into a May, 2010 E. coli O157 outbreak that was linked to raw (unpasteurized) milk produced at his dairy. The outbreak sickened at least 8 people, including a toddler who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a severe illness that causes kidney failure and can be fatal.
In June, 28 environmental and animal samples obtained by the Minnesota Department of Health from the Hartmann farm tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. Twenty-six samples had the same DNA fingerprint as the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7.
Also in June, state officials confiscated milk, ice cream, cheese and other dairy products from Hartmann’s farm. Hartmann wants the confiscated food back. The state alleges that his dairy operation was unsanitary and the dairy products were adulterated under Minnesota law. The state wants the confiscated products from the Hartmann farm destroyed.
