School Trip E. coli Outbreak at Camp Bournedale
State and federal health officials are investigating what food caused the Camp Bournedale E. coli O157:H7 outbreak among a class of sixth graders from Lincoln, Rhode Island.
The trip to the camp in Plymouth, Massachusetts, happened October 13-16. According to a press release from the Rhode Island Department of Health, 15 of the students complained of diarrhea. Two were diagnosed with infections of E. coli O157:H7 and two of the trip-goers to Camp Bournedale remain hospitalized.
Lincoln School officials and Rhode Island’s leading state epidemiologist, Dr. Robert Crausman, are urging parents, children and chaperons from the trip to seek immediate medical attention if they develop diarrhea — the primary symptom of E. coli infection. They want to prevent the outbreak from spreading from person-to-person contact. Those outcomes have been known to occur if infected persons don’t practice safe handwashing.
In Massachusetts, state health officials and the USDA are investigating what food may have caused the outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also is assisting in the overall investigation.
In more than five percent of E. coli O157:H7 cases, victims suffer a life-threatening complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS. Young children and adults over age 60 are more prone to contracting the disease, which causes death in nearly 5 percent of all cases.
National food safety law firmPritzker Olsen Attorneys currently represents victims of E. coli HUS and is dedicated to the prevention of this disease. We have been calling on Congress for years to pass tougher food safety legislation, including funding for more inspections.
We are one of the few law firms in the nation practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness and we have collected tens of millions for victims of food poisoning. To contact an experienced E. coli attorney at our firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or complete our online contact and information form. We will provide you with a free case consultation.
E. coli O157:H7 is an organism that lives in the guts of cattle and other animals without harming them. The microbe can survive in the feces of the animals and contaminate meat during the slaughtering process. It can also live in water or ground and come in contact with fresh produce. Undercooked hamburgers are a common cause of E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks because the pathogen can survive in the center of the meat if the temperature there doesn’t reach 160 degrees.
Once ingested by humans, E. coli O157:H7 produces a toxin that attacks blood cells causing a range of problems. Kidney failure, hemorrhaging, strokes, heart problems, brain damage and central nervous system disorders are all possible outcomes of an E. coli HUS infection. Young children and the elderly are the two groups who are most at risk for infection.
Tags: e. coli hus, E. coli Outbreak
