National Steak and Poultry and Applebee’s Steak E. coli Lawsuits
Pritzker Olsen food safety attorneys are representing an Ohio woman and an Iowa woman, both of whom had steak at Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill in November 2009 and became seriously ill with E. coli O157:H7 food poisoning in the following weeks.
E.coli-contaminated steaks have been associated through epidemiological investigations to Oklahoma-based meat processor National Steak and Poultry, who recalled 248,000 pounds of steak on December 24 because of potential E coli contamination.
Long-Term and Life-Changing Effects of E. coli Food Poisoning
Both of these E. coli victims suffered through severe medical complications that can arise from an E. coli infection. Although initial symptoms of an E. coli infection include nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea with blood, more serious conditions can cause lifelong damage or even death. One of these clients developed a case of hemolytic uremic syndrome (E coli HUS) that caused her to be hospitalized for almost a month and has left her with long-term medical conditions including kidney damage severe enough to need dialysis for several months. The other client had to have her colon surgically removed due to the E coli infection, leaving her with an ileostomy, which is a life-altering condition.
Both clients were active members of their communities and enjoyed physical activities including golf and softball. The lives and livelihoods of both clients have been significantly changed as a result of their illness, which was tragic and preventable.
E. coli in Steak: A Little-known Danger
Most people associate meat-related Ecoli infections with ground beef because the grinding process can easily transfer bacteria from the surface of the beef to the inside of the beef patty–therefore making it more difficult to kill that interior bacteria during the cooking process. It is more commonly thought that since the bacteria on the surface of a steak has not been ground into the interior of the meat (as with a hamburger) that cooking steak easily kills exterior pathogens like E coli and therefore makes steak less of a risk for E coli food poisoning.
However, many steaks distributed to restaurants undergo a mechanical tenderization process, during which hundreds of tiny needles repeatedly puncture cuts of beef to make them more tender and juicy. Sometimes tenderizing fluid is also injected into the meat. This process allows surface pathogens to reach the interior of the meat, where it is more difficult to kill during the cooking process, as it is with a ground beef patty.
Source:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/coli-tainted-beef-statewide-scare-meat-mechanically-tenderized/story?id=9455914
Rare Strain of E. coli O143:H34 Found in Bagged Lettuce
While investigating an E coli O145 outbreak in romaine lettuce, Ohio Health officials found another rare strain of food poisoning: E. coli O143:H34.
While this particular pathogen has not been associated with any foodborne illnesses by health officials, E coli 0143:H34 can still cause serious food poisoning symptoms and sicken people. According to a report in The Columbus Dispatch:
“For some food-safety advocates, the finding highlights the ubiquitous nature of contamination and builds the case to expedite reforms to improve the cleanliness of the nation’s food supply.”
E. coli lawyer and food safety attorney Fred Pritzker has long been advocating similar reforms. E. coli O157 is the only form of this dangerous pathogen that is regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). However, as these findings show, other harmful strains of E coli can and do contaminate American consumers’ food supplies, yet they go undetected by the government agencies charged with keeping our food safe. Other forms of E coli that can cause serious illness include:
- E. coli O111
- E. coli O145
- E. coli O143:H34
- E. coli O26
- E. coli O121
- E. coli O103
- E. coli O45
E. coli infections can lead to severe health complications including hemolytic uremic syndrome (E. coli HUS), kidney failure, and long-term health issues such as hypertension. These pathogens cause serious problems and should be treated seriously by the government agencies responsible for keeping our food supply safe.
Source: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/05/20/ohio-tests-detect-different-strain-of-e–coli-in-lettuce.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=101
Lettuce E. coli O145 Victim Represented by Pritzker Olsen
A student at Daemen College in Amhurst, New York who was sickened in an outbreak of E. coli 0145 has retained food safety lawyers at Pritzker Olsen. The outbreak of this rare strain of E. coli has been associated with recalled romaine lettuce distributed by Sidney, Ohio-based Freshway Foods.
The client became sick in early April with the classic symptoms of an E coli infection: bloody diarrhea and severe abdominal pain. She was hospitalized three times as her condition developed into hemolytic uremic syndrome (E. coli HUS), which is a life-threatening illness that can cause central nervous system damage, kidney failure, pancreatitis, heart problems, and other serious medical problems. Although her condition is improving, the illness has posed a serious setback to her studies and was completely preventable. E. coli O157 is the typical strain of this pathogen that the general public hears about in news reports. It is the most common strain linked to human illnesses, but as this case illustrates, it is certainly not the only one that can severely harm consumers.
“Any E. coli strain capable of producing the toxin that causes injury or death in humans, including O145, should be declared an adulterant and regulated by federal and state agencies charged with protecting our nation’s food supply,” said food safety attorney Fred Pritzker. “Our client’s HUS is no less devastating because it came from O145 rather than O157.”
Currently, the USDA does not test for E. coli O145 in food products. Food safety advocates, including Pritzker, have advocated for this to change. This particular O145 outbreak has so far sickened 23 people in 4 states: Tennessee, Ohio, Michigan and New York, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Seven probable cases are also being investigated.
In the wake of this outbreak and recall, another distributor, Vaughn Foods of Oklahoma, has also recalled lettuce that was grown at the same Yuma, Arizona farm being investigated in connection with the Freshway Foods recall.
Water at Sports Complex Contaminated with E. coli Causes Illness in Missouri
At least 14 people have fallen ill after drinking water at a sports complex in Cape Girardeau County in Missouri.
All the cases have been linked to E. coli in water at Class Act Sports Complex, 2336 County Road 301, which is just outside the city of Jackson, Missouri.
Officials with the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center tested water from a drinking fountain and a faucet within the facility and confirmed the presence of E. coli in both samples. The sports complex is served by a private well.
Since April 28, at least 14 people have reported becoming ill after drinking water at the facility. Testing confirmed that five of those people were suffering from exposure to E. coli and nine others are considered probable. Four people have been hospitalized.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services is working with local health officials to determine the source of the contamination.
Lettuce Recalled Due to E. coli O145 Risk Grown on Yuma, Arizona Farm
According to an FDA news release, investigators have confirmed that the strain of E. coli O145 detected by New York State Public Health in an unopened bag of shredded romaine lettuce distributed by Freshway Foods matches the outbreak strain of E. coli O145.
To date, there have been 19 confirmed and additional unconfirmed cases of E. coli O145 infections in Michigan, Ohio, and New York. These illnesses include 12 individuals who have been hospitalized, and three with a potentially life threatening complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
HUS is a serious condition in which the body’s blood-clotting mechanisms are altered, causing blocked circulation or bleeding in the brain or kidneys.
In response to the E. coli O145 outbreak, on May 6, Freshway Foods of Sidney, Ohio, recalled certain romaine lettuce products because of the possible connection to the E.coli O145 foodborne illness outbreak. The recalled shredded romaine lettuce had “best if used by” dates of May 12 or earlier.
Federal and state investigators are attempting to determine the point in the supply chain where the contamination occurred and are investigating a farm in the Yuma, Arizona area from which the romaine lettuce was harvested. Lettuce harvested from other geographic areas does not appear to be associated with this outbreak.
Vaughan Foods of Moore, Oklahoma, a supplier of processed and packaged lettuce for use at the foodservice level, received romaine lettuce harvested from the same farm in Yuma, Arizona; the company is recalling romaine lettuce with “use‐by” dates of May 9 and May 10. The recalled romaine lettuce distributed by Vaughan Foods was sold to restaurants and food service facilities and were not available for purchase at retail by consumers.
Anyone who ate lettuce at a restaurant, grocery store deli, or other eating establishment and then experiences diarrhea, particularly bloody diarrhea, and severe cramping should seek medical attention immediately.
Recalled Freshway Foods Lettuce May Have Been Grown in Arizona
On May 5, 2010, the New York state Public Health Laboratory, Wadsworth Center, in Albany reported finding E. coli O145 in an unopened bag of Freshway Foods shredded romaine lettuce. This was part of an investigation of an E. coli O145 outbreak that has sickened people in Michigan, New York and Ohio.
On May 6, Freshway Foods, a Sidney, Ohio firm, recalled bags of lettuce it sold to wholesalers, food service outlets, and some in-store salad bars and delis in the following areas: Alabama, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Freshway Foods is advising consumers not to eat “grab and go” salads sold in-store salad bars and delis at Kroger, Giant Eagle, Ingles Markets, and Marsh stores.
Investigators are now looking at a farm in Yuma, Arizona as the source of the recalled lettuce. Past E. coli outbreaks linked to lettuce and spinach have been traced back to farms in California that were close to cattle ranches or in areas that frequently flood.
The issue for investigators now is to determine when the lettuce became contaminated with E. coli O145.
