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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

USDA has associated the Cargill E. coli ground beef recall with three confirmed illnesses caused by the identical strain of E. coli 026. There are two cases in Maine and one in New York.  The agency’s initial Cargill ground beef recall distribution list includes 26 BJ’s Wholesale Club stores in Maine, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, New Hampshire, New Jersey and New York.

An active E. coli ground beef investigation is continuing. The tainted Cargill ground beef was produced June 11 for use or freezing by July 1. People started to get sick  June 24. Public health officials at the state and federal level are concerned that more outbreak cases could surface if consumers unknowingly pull recalled ground beef from their home freezers for meal preparation.

Cargill’s recalled ground beef was sold to BJ’s Wholesale Club in 42-pound cases. Fourteen-pound “chubs” inside the cases were for repackaging into trays of ground beef for sale in BJ’s Wholesale Club meat cases. The products subject to recall bear the establishment number “EST. 9400″ inside the USDA mark of inspection. The Class I recall covers 8,500 pounds of Cargill ground beef.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, E. coli O157:H7 causes 73,000 illnesses and 50 deaths every year in the United States.  Another six E. coli strains – including O26 — are less pervasive but just as capable of causing severe illness, including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

Due to a gaping shortfall in federal law, only E. coli 0157:H7 is banned from ground beef as an adulterant. The prohibition hasn’t ended E. coli 0157:H7 contamination, but it has forced meatpackers to constantly test for it and it also calls for routine government testing of the products.

An FSIS ground beef recall announcement said Cargill Meat Solutions Corp of Pennsylvania is recalling 8.500 pounds of ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli 026, a potentially lethal human pathogen. The meat was produced June 11 and sold in 14-pound “chubs” to retailers who repackaged it for meat case display. The affected store brands haven’t been announced yet. The tainted ground beef was initially shipped to distribution centers in Connecticut and Maryland for further sale.

Two people from Maine and one from New York have been infected by the same identical strain of E. coli 026 and health investigators in the two states are continuing their efforts to learn the extent of this outbreak.  Cargill is a large multi-national corporation that has been involved in E. coli ground beef recalls and outbreaks in the past. FSIS has found a convincing association between the Maine and New York E. coli cases and ground beef from Cargill.

Eating ground beef is a well-established mode of shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). The most prevalent type of STEC is O157:H7, but E. coli 026 also produces shiga toxin that attacks a person’s red blood cells. In 5 to 15 percent of STEC infections, patients develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) or thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), a related condition.

HUS is the leading cause of kidney failure, worldwide, in children. It also can damage other parts of a person’s body, including the heart, brain and central nervous system. HUS in children is deadly in about 5 percent of cases.

Here is the Cargill E. coli ground beef recall announcement:

The products subject to recall bear the establishment number “EST. 9400″ inside the USDA mark of inspection. The recall includes 42-pound cases of “GROUND BEEF FINE 90/10,” containing three (3) – approximately 14 pound chubs each. These products have a “use/freeze by” date of “07/01/10,” and an identifying product code of “W69032.”

The first two cases of E. coli O157 was reported to the health department last Friday.  The third case was reported on Monday.  Health officials have sent E. coli isolates taken from the three children to a lab for genetic testing to determine if they have the same genetic fingerprint.  This would be evidence that all of the children were sickened by the same E. coli source.

Health officials have taken environmental samples throughout the fairgrounds, including water samples, to try to find the source of the outbreak.  Extremely small amounts of E. coli bacteria can result in infection and serious illness, including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can cause kidney failure, brain damage, pancreatitis, blindness and death. The water was tested before the fair began, and E. coli bacterium were not found, but this does not mean it was free of the bacteria when the children visited.

The Grand Traverse County Health Department learned about two cases on Friday and a third on Monday, but officials haven’t been able to connect them except through the annual fair in Blair Township.

The children, who are not related, range from 5 to 15 years old. They did not work with the same livestock and did not eat from the same vendors, said Fred Keeslar, department health officer.

“We were hoping to find some common links, but didn’t,” he said.

Health officials have no positive proof the outbreak originated at the fair, but it remains the likeliest connection.

“There are lots of animals coming together and people touching animals that are kicking up dust,” Keeslar said.

Humans may be exposed to E. coli through contact with animal fecal matter. Symptoms include vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea, sometimes bloody diarrhea.

“It can lead to, in the worst case, renal failure and death,” Keeslar said.

Further testing is under way to pinpoint the specific type of E. coli. The best preventative measure is frequent hand-washing when in contact with barnyard animals.

Fair President Dana Cederquist could not be reached for comment.

Nancy Schroeder, secretary for the Northwest Michigan 4-H Livestock Council, said sanitation and hand-washing is part of annual plans at the fair.

“We have five hand-washing stations with running water and antibacterial soap. We also have hand sanitizer at the petting zoo,” she said.

Schroeder said fair-goers are encouraged to wash their hands before and after contacting animals, with warnings on banners hung at the fairgrounds, as well as signs posted at all barn entrances and in the restrooms.

“We try to make the public aware and we try to provide them with what they need on the grounds,” she said.

Darrel Robinson, president of the livestock council, said the bacteria associated with the ill children is a known risk with livestock and the reason warnings are prominently displayed across the fairgrounds. Additionally, fair planners participate in annual biohazard training in preparation for the fair, he said.

At least two of the stricken children are not involved with 4-H, though the third could have handled livestock, Keeslar said.

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, also called STEC infections, can affect people of any age, though the very young and elderly are the most susceptible, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

STEC live in the guts of cud-chewing hoofed animals, including cattle, goats and sheep, though the primary source for human illnesses is cattle. Other kinds of animals, including pigs and birds, sometimes pick up STEC from the environment and may spread it, according to the CDC.

Keeslar said all three infected Grand Traverse area children are expected to fully recover, though the 5-year-old remained hospitalized on Tuesday. The other two children were treated and released.

Officials tested water sources at the fairgrounds before the week-long event and on Tuesday took new samples to verify whether water became contaminated. Results are expected in several days, Keeslar said.

Health officials notified area doctors to watch for STEC symptoms in their patients because those who came into contact with the bacteria but didn’t become ill could still spread the infection to others, particularly those with weakened immune systems.

The cluster of E. coli is being investigated by the Michigan state health authority and the Grand Traverse County Health Department. 9 & 10 News reported tonight that one of the children remains hospitalized. Children under 5 are in the age group most susceptible to developing a complication of E. coli infection known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS can keep children hospitalized for lengthy periods with kidney failure and many other impairments caused by the toxin.

Michigan health officials are taking the opportunity of the outbreak to remind families to practice strict hand hygiene at  county fairs and other animal exhibits. Cattle and other animals shed E. coli from their feces and it can survive on the hides of cattle and other animals.