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.
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.
Fecal Shedding Underestimates E. coli 0157:H7 Volume in Cattle
New research published this week shows that testing for E. coli O157:H7 in cow feces underestimates the prevalance of the pathogen in the animals’ gastrointestinal tract.
The research, published August 1 by the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology, was conducted by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service.
E. coli 0157:H7 is a dangerous foodborne pathogen in humans that grows benignly in cattle.
It is common to test cattle feces to determine if any individual animal is shedding the bacteria, but scientists are seeking more information about where in the cattle gastrintestinal tract the E. coli can be found. The information is needed for the purpose of fighting the bug.
The research team found E. coli O157:H7 in samples from the mouth, pharynx, tonsils, lymph nodes, esophagus, all four sections of the stomach, and the small and large intestines, though the specific locations of positive cultures varied between animals.
“Although 31 percent of the animals were culture positive for E. coli O157:H7 somewhere along the intestinal tract, only 26 percent of those were fecal-culture positive. These data suggest that fecal shedding underestimated E. coli O157:H7 prevalence in the beef cattle gut and identified potential intervention sites,” the researchers concluded.
In short, fecal shedding underestimated E. coli O157:H7.
Better Non-0157:H7 E. coli Test is in the Works
USDA is collaborating with DuPont Qualicon to develop a more effective test for the six most common non-0157:H7 shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC)
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that non-O157 STEC bacteria are responsible for 36,000 illnesses, 1,000 hospitalizations and 30 deaths annually.
In recent years, they have become a growing concern as agents of foodborne illness. In fact, USDA has been studying the possibility of expanding its definition of “adulterated meat” to include meat that is contaminated with non-O157 STEC E. coli.
According to the CDC, about 70 percent of non-O157 STEC isolated from humans fall into six serogroups, which are (in order of frequency): O26, O103, O111, O121, O45, and O145. STEC that are known to cause human illness are sometimes called enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC).
Whatever the serotype, if a bacterium is making Shiga toxins in the gastrointestinal tract of an infected individual, that person is at risk for developing hemorrhagic colitis and life-threatening HUS, or hemolytic uremic syndrome.
“The USDA continually looks for opportunities to collaborate in ways that will expedite research to assist regulatory agencies and move technologies into the marketplace. This collaborative project to develop a discriminating STEC test is a good fit with our mission,” Pina Fratamico, USDA research microbiologist said in a press release.
Latest CDC Roundup Indicates 5,309 E. coli Cases for 2008
E. coli O157:H7 has been a nationally notifiable disease with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) since 1994. National surveillance for all Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) began in 2001.
This week, the CDC released its latest annual Summary of Notifiable Diseases and it covers calendar year 2008.
According to the report, there was a total in 2008 of 5,309 U.S. confirmed cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. The report did not break down the total by serotype, but O157:H7 is dominant. The report does not analyze growth patterns, but when comparing to totals in the two previous years there has been an upward trend in total cases.
In 2006, the total number of U.S. confirmed cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli was 4,432. One year later, the total increased to 4,847.
Normally, cases spike in warmer months and drop off in early winter. That was the case in 2008 — as the breakdown showed 843 cases for August and 668 cases for July — the two highest monthly totals for the year. The lowest monthly total was 147 in February 2008.
You can see CDC’s 2008 Summary of Notifiable Diseases in its entirety on the CDC website.
Healthy cattle, which harbor the organism in their intestines, are the main animal reservoir of STEC. Most reported outbreaks are caused by contaminated food or water. During 2004, a substantial decline in reported O157:H7 STEC cases led to an incidence rate that met the Healthy People 2010 goal of less than 1 case per 100,000 population; since then, the incidence has increased.
