Broader E. coli Testing May Be On the Way
The type, or “strain” of E. coli that most people hear about in the news is E. coli O157:H7, but it’s not the only strain that can make people seriously ill. Furthermore, government food safety officials currently only test the nation’s food supply for this strain, but not six others that can also cause severe illness. According to recent news reports, that could soon change.
This newly focused attention on non-O157 E. coli strains is due in part to recent outbreaks of these strains that have sickened people, such as a E. coli O145 outbreak linked to romaine lettuce this spring. That outbreak sickened approximately 30 people in several states.
“It’s too late for my client, who suffered serious illness due to a dangerous pathogen contaminating food that should have been safe,” Pritzker said. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t and shouldn’t work toward preventing future outbreaks. If deadly bacteria can seriously injure or even kill someone, there is no excuse not to test for it.”
the six most reported non-O157 E. coli strains are :
- E. coli O26
- E. coli O45
- E. coli O103
- E. coli O111
- E. coli O121
- E. coli O145
These strains are referred to as “Non-O145 STECs.” STEC stands for “shiga toxin-producing E. coli,” because when a human is infected with E. coli, it’s not the bacteria itself that makes people really sick, it’s the shiga toxin that the bacterium produces. This toxin is what causes the severe bloody diarrhea that is symptomatic of an E. coli infection. In serious cases, an E. coli infection from a shiga toxin-producing strain can cause:
- kidney failure
- lifelong kidney problems
- hemolytic uremic syndrome (E. coli HUS)
- thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP)
Although food industry leaders have cited challenges in detecting these strains of E. coli, food safety advocates like Pritzker have been pushing hard for reforms that will keep consumers safe from preventable foodborne illness.
Source:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jZz8LSjhfQyF2h96n6BHdcw12iIAD9GCE8A01
Food Safety Lawyer Fred Pritzker on Raw Milk Dangers
After Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle vetoed a bill in May that would have made it legal to sell raw milk in the state, the conversation about whether raw milk is safe is still going in Wisconsin and around the country. Food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker represents people across the country who have become sick after drinking raw milk.
“My clients have been very seriously injured by drinking raw milk that they were told was safe,” Pritzker says. “It is clearly an unsafe product and shouldn’t be sold. The risks of illness are simply too high.”
Pritzker commented on Green Bay, Wisconsin’s NBC26 for a recent story on the issue:
Campylobacter and E. coli are two pathogens that can be found in raw, unpasteurized milk. Both can make people extremely ill, especially the elderly and very young children. Campylobacter can lead to Guillain Barre syndrome, which paralyzed one of Pritzker’s clients for life. E. coli can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, which can cause lifelong kidney problems and can in some cases be deadly.
E. coli Prevention Starting With Cattle: Research Report
Stopping E. coli at one of its most common sources–the digestive systems of cattle–is the subject of new E. coli prevention research from the University of Idaho.
The potentially life-threatening bacteria, E. coli O157:H7, colonize in cattle’s gastrointestinal tracts and can live there because the bacteria is harmful to humans but not cattle. Fecal matter from the environments in which the cattle are raised can spread and contaminate meat during the slaughtering process, and/or contaminate surrounding water supplies and groundwater that can lead to contamination of produce growing in the surrounding areas.
Researchers, however, are gaining insight into how E coli bacteria grow and survive inside cattle. The University of Idaho study shows that E. coli O157:H7 bacteria have chemical signals that allow it to sense their environment and activate certain genes in the cattle that help the bacteria colonize in cattle’s guts. And the ability to disrupt that signal could hold the key to preventing the life-threatening pathogen from growing inside the cattle, researchers say. This could potentially be done through feed additives that would block the transmission of that chemical signal.
E. coli Prevention: What you can do
Although research is an important component of E. coli poisoning prevention, the truth is that E. coli bacteria can still be found in foods, beverages and water sources. According to food safety attorney Fred Pritzker:
“Preventive measures by the meat industry may reduce the number of cattle that carry E. coli and the frequency of contamination of meat during processing. But since research into such prevention measures is just beginning, it is important that you understand the steps you can take to protect yourself and your family.”
E. coli Prevention
- Cook meat thoroughly
- Keep a clean kitchen
- Drink pasteurized beverages
- Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly
- Wash your hands
Raw Milk E. coli Outbreak Linked to Hartmann Dairy Farm in Minnesota
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has released new evidence that an E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least 5 Minnesotans is linked to raw milk products from the Hartmann Dairy Farm in Gibbon, Minnesota. The strain of E. coli bacteria that sickened these people came from Hartmann Dairy Farm, according to the MDH.
Several victims were hospitalized, including a toddler with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a serious complication that can arise from E. coli poisoning and can do life-long kidney damage to patients, especially the very young and the elderly. These illnesses occurred throughout the state of Minnesota. Initially, the common link between these illnesses, health officials say, was that they had all consumed products from the Hartmann dairy farm. This epidemiological link, however, is now reinforced by the MDH’s confirmation through microbiological testing that the strain of E. coli found on the farm is the same strain found in the patients. Additionally, the MDH reports:
“…the specific strain of E. coli O157:H7 found in the ill patients has also been found in multiple animals and at multiple sites on the Hartmann farm. This strain of E. coli has not previously been found in Minnesota. Furthermore, laboratory tests confirmed that cheese samples collected last week from the farm contained another form of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, demonstrating that an ongoing pathway of contamination existed on the farm.”
The food safety lawyers at Pritzker Olsen attorneys currently represent a man sickened from raw milk contaminated with Campylobacter. He developed Guillain-Barre syndrome as is now paralyzed. Our attorneys are all too familiar with the dangers that can arise from consuming raw milk.
What is Raw Milk? Why Can it Make Us Sick?
Most milk in the supermarket is pasteurized in order to kill potentially harmful bacteria, such as E. coli and Campylobacter. However, some people believe raw, or unpasteurized milk is more nutritious than pasteurized milk and choose to drink it. Public health organizations such as the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics all advocate pasteurization as a standard practice.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture restricts the sale of raw milk to occasional sales of milk directly from the farmer to consumer. If consumers choose to drink raw milk, the MDA urges that they:
- Do their homework: consumers should educate themselves on how to consume raw milk SAFELY and RESPONSIBLY
- Consumers MUST go directly to the farm to get the milk, according to Minnesota law.
- Consumers MUST bring their own containers. Farmers are NOT allowed to bottle their own raw milk for sale.
E. coli Water Dangers Highlighted by Lake Closure
After high levels of E. coli were found in an Arkansas lake, local health officials closed it to the public. Locals in Conway, Arkansas for the time being won’t be able to swim in Beaverfork Lake after several different water samples tested for E. coli show that the water contained four to eight time too high, according to local news sources. State health department officials said the contamination might be attributed to runoff from recent rainfall but that the exact cause had yet to be determined.
Though commonly associated with foodborne illness, E. coli poisoning from water sources is a lesser-known, yet just as dangerous problem. E. coli and other waterborne pathogens can spread either by drinking contaminated water or by swimming in it. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
“Recreational water illnesses (RWIs) are caused by germs spread by swallowing, breathing in mists or aerosols of, or having contact with contaminated water in swimming pools, hot tubs, water parks, water play areas, interactive fountains, lakes, rivers, or oceans. RWIs can be a wide variety of infections, including gastrointestinal, skin, ear, respiratory, eye, neurologic and wound infections. The most commonly reported RWI is diarrhea. Diarrheal illnesses can be caused by germs such as Crypto (short for Cryptosporidium), Giardia, Shigella, norovirus and E. coli O157:H7.”
Attorney Elliot Olsen of Pritzker Olsen law firm recently settled an E. coli water contamination case that severely sickened a two-year-old girl living in a rural home where the well water was contaminated.
The CDC advises that families follow the following tips when swimming in pools, lakes, rivers, beaches and other public swimming facilities:
- Don’t swim when you have diarrhea. You can spread germs in the water and make other people sick.
- Don’t swallow the pool water. Avoid getting water in your mouth.
- Practice good hygiene. Shower with soap before swimming and wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers. Germs on your body end up in the water
- Take your kids on bathroom breaks or check diapers often. Waiting to hear “I have to go” may mean that it’s too late.
- Change diapers in a bathroom or a diaper-changing area and not at poolside. Germs can spread in and around the pool.
- Wash your child thoroughly (especially the rear end) with soap and water before swimming. Invisible amounts of fecal matter can end up in the pool.
Sources:
http://www.4029tv.com/news/23769196/detail.html
Meat Industry Organization Voices E. Coli Legislation Opposition
New legislation introduced last week by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York would regulate six strains of the deadly E. coli pathogen that the U.S. Department of Agriculture currently does not monitor. The strain of E. coli most widely known is E. coli O157:H7, and this is the only strain the USDA tests for in food supplies. However, other strains of the harmful bacteria can severely sicken or kill food poisoning victims.
There are six primary strains that are known as “non-O157 STECs” (STEC stands for Shiga Toxin-producing E. Coli because the shiga toxin produced by these strains is what causes such severe illness.) These strains include: E. coli O26, E coli O103, Ecoli O111, E. coli O121, Ecoli O45, E coli O145. Recent outbreaks of E. coli O145 and O111 have brought attention to this issue, which is a problem that food safety advocates such as food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker have already been addressing. “Gillibrand’s legislation is an important step to a safer food system,” Pritzker said.
However, the American Meat Institute issued a statement regarding this legislation, saying that the bill would consume resources that could be better spent. According to AMI:
“We share Sen. Gillibrand’s desire to eradicate pathogenic bacteria, but we don’t believe that an act of Congress can make these bacteria disappear…We are concerned that food safety resources in the private sector and the public sector are not infinite. It’s important to invest in technologies that will provide meaningful food safety benefits. We do not believe that declaring non-O157 STECS to be adulterants will enhance the food safety system, and we think that application of such a policy could consume resources that could be better spent elsewhere to achieve meaningful food safety progress.”
“I have represented too many victims of E. coli food poisoning and seen too many consequences firsthand of this deadly pathogen to agree with this statement,” Pritzker said. “Complications that can arise from E. coli food poisoning, such as hemolytic uremic syndrome (E. coli HUS), kidney failure, Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), and others can result in death or seriously life-changing long-term health problems.”
