State health investigators in Maine say that four E. coli O157:H7 illnesses are considered part of a national cluster of infections that share the same genetic fingerprint.

But Dr. Dora Anne Mills, the director of Maine's Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said there are currently no answers about what is causing the outbreak. Nor did she say how many cases outside Maine involve the same strain of E. coli O157:H7.

Mills wrote a public health alert late last week reminding school-based health centers, local health departments and physicians in the state to be on the lookout for E. coli O157:H7 in patients with diarrheal illness. Symptoms of E. coli infection include diarrhea (often bloody), severe stomach cramping and sometimes nausea or vomiting.

The four matching E. coli cases found in Maine were among seven total E. coli O157:H7 illnesses confirmed to have started in the state between April 17 and May 17. All the cases were in Cumberland or York counties.

National food poisoning and food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen Attorneys is monitoring the outbreak in Maine and tracking whether it could be part of a larger emerging pattern of E. coli O157:H7 infections.

The firm is involved in practically every major outbreak of foodborne illness and has collected tens of millions of dollars over the years for victims of E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria and other pathogens in food.

Pritzker Olsen is one of the few law firms in the country that is extensively involved in foodborne illness litigation. The firm, led by founder and President Fred Pritzker, also has criticized current food safety laws, saying they don't go far enough to prevent pathogens from contaminating our food in the first place.

If you or someone you know has injuries, questions or information about the Maine E. coli outbreak, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete our form that is available online for a free case consultation.

Labels: E coli kidney failure, hemolytic uremic syndrome