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 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.

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.

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.

The boy became sick with the life-threatening E. coli O157:H7 pathogen in April. After being rushed to the hospital with bloody diarrhea–a strong sign of an Ecoli infection–the deadly bacteria attacked his kidneys and colon. He was put on dialysis and died after spending a week in a Portland hospital.

In addition to the one E coli death there were 13 cases of E. coli poisoning related to this outbreak, according to county health officials. Three others were hospitalized but recovered and 10 more people tested positive for the pathogen but had only mild E. coli symptoms. The owners of the day care, who have operated it for about 20 years, say they plan to appeal the state’s revocation of the license. Health officials told local news sources that the license was being revoked for several reasons:

• The daycare owners waited too long before reporting child illnesses to the county health department
• The daycare did not follow state-regulated diapering procedures
• The daycare lacked sufficient records for one of the children who attended
• A previous citation was on record for operating over the capacity for which they were licensed, which was only 12 children

Health officials have said the infection was most likely spread by person-to-person contact and that it was not a case of foodborne illness.

The E coli ground beef recall involves packages with the establishment number “Est. 6116″ on the label and the meat was produced between May 3 and May 13, 2010. The ground beef products were distributed to retailers and government establishments for further processing in the Los Angeles area. The products include:

• Various pound packages of “MONTCLAIR MEAT CO. GROUND BEEF”
• Various pound packages of “MONTCLAIR MEAT CO. ALL BEEF PATTIES”

FSIS discovered the E. coli O157:H7 contamination in the meat through microbiological sampling. More detailed retail and distribution information will be posted here, if and when it becomes available.

E. coli is a serious foodborne illness that can cause serious gastrointestinal symptoms including severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. It can develop into more serious complications including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can cause kidney failure and other serious, ongoing medical conditions. The food poisoning attorneys at Pritzker Olsen law firm have extensive experience representing victims of serious foodborne illnesses including E. coli O147:H7 and E. coli HUS. If you or a loved one suspect you’ve contracted and E. coli infection, be sure to visit the doctor and ask to be tested for that specific pathogen. Those sickened by foodborne illness may have a legal case against the food producers, distributors and others.

The 60-35 vote overrode serious health concerns raised by the state’s own disease experts, pediatricians, food safety groups and farm bureau. County health investigators from around the state had testified about the dangers such a law would pose — increasing the public’s exposure to toxic micro-organisms.

E. coli O157:H7 is one of the threats that will lurk in the commercial trade of raw milk because pasteurization is required to kill the pathogen, which can be expressed through a cow’s udders but also can contaminate milk supplies via the incidental spread of cow feces in milking environments.

Campylobacter and Salmonella can also contaminate raw milk in this way and outbreaks of these illnesses have happened already this year in several states, including Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Pennsylvania.

Rep. Andy Jorgensen (D-Fort Atkinson) told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that he opposed the bill because the public currently sees the state’s signature product as “delicious, nutritious and safe.”

“I don’t want to tarnish that,” Jorgensen said.

Under the legislation, sales could take place only at farms where the milk was produced. The bill would sunset on Dec. 31, 2011. Farmers would have to post a sign declaring that raw milk may contain organisms that cause disease.

The bill, a similar version of which was previously passed by the state Senate, also would have to say that raw milk is not recommended for certain people, including the very young and very old, women who are pregnant or nursing, and individuals with diabetes or compromised immune systems.

Quoting the Washington State Department of Agriculture, KING5-TV attributed the spill to a breached lagoon wall on the Bartelheimer Brothers dairy operation.

The state Department of  Health is closely monitoring the problem, but there appeared to be no immediate threat to public drinking water systems, the station reported.  People in the area with private wells are advised to consult with the health department about potential risks.

The lagoon is only 12 years old. It was built to hold 21 million gallons of manure and 10 feet of the 15-foot-deep facility was above ground level. All contents above ground level spilled out, according to the report.

Officials are monitoring the river and an accompanying slough to track harm to fish populations and people are being urged to stay away from the river to avoid E. coli poisoning.

Now she is a member of  Chicago-based S.T.O.P.-Safe Tables Our Priority, which  is renewing its plea to the USDA to declare disease-causing E. coli types other than E. coli O157:H7 as adulterants in beef and  begin testing for them. National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen and many other supporters of S.T.O.P. have made the same request.

 
The USDA declared E. coli O157:H7 an adulterant in ground beef in 1994 in the aftermath of a west coast outbreak that sickened over 700 people and killed at least 4.  Adulterant status makes it illegal to sell contaminated product — knowingly or unknowingly. With it comes an obligation to test for the pathogen.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified 6 additional strains of shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) — O26, O111, O103, O121, O45 and O145 — that are associated with severe illness and death. Shiga-toxin — whether it comes from the O157:H7 bug or any other bug attacks red blood cells with the same life-threatening result.

Just like E. coli O157:H7, these other STEC strains are found in cattle and get into our beef supply when feces contaminate the meat during slaughter and processing.  The powerful toxin, which has no antidote, can lead to renal failure, cause strokes, damage neuro systems and create heart problems. It leads to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), two life-threatening complications of STEC infection.

“You can’t find what you’re not looking for and USDA needs to start actively looking for these pathogens,” Dana said in a press release issued by S.T.O.P.  ”It’s too late for Kayla, but not too late for others.”

Nancy Donley, S.T.O.P.’s President, whose 6-year-old son died from E. coli O157:H7-contaminated ground beef,  said that in 2007 and 2008 USDA had public meetings on this issue, but failed to enact any prevention-based strategy.  Instead, USDA declared that it would first conduct testing of ground beef and components to determine the extent of non-O157 STEC and implement a regulatory program if needed.
 
“While S.T.O.P. has no objection to conducting a baseline study, we object to holding up declaring these additional E. coli strains as adulterants in beef,” Donley said.