Consumption of contaminated raw milk has caused a Wisconsin Campylobacter outbreak, with public officials confirming 13 related illnesses in the southeastern area of the state.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is investigating the source of the unpasteurized milk. It is illegal to sell raw milk in Wisconsin, but people have gotten around the law in the past by forming ownership co-ops, in which shares of ownership are sold in individual cows.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen attorneys is tracking the outbreak and people who have become sick and have concerns about protecting their legal rights can call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). If you or a loved one are sick and believe you may have contracted the outbreak strain of this disease, you should immediately see a physician.

The outbreak started August 14 and the onsets of illness in the confirmed cases lasted six days. With Campylobacter jejuni, people can contract the disease from an infected person and the number of confirmed cases is expected to climb because other people are ill in households where someone has a confirmed case. Tests are pending.

The outbreak has come with a warning from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services for people to discard any raw, unpasteurized milk they have in their refrigerators. Campylobacter is one of the most common of foodborne illnesses, but it can cause serious illness, even death. Those at highest risk are young children, the elderly and people who have weakened immune systems.

One of the complications of Campylobacter is Guillain-Barre' Syndrome, a disease that can result in muscle weakness and paralysis. Pritzker Olson has represented Guillain-Barre' patients and others who have become seriously ill from Campylobacter. Our law firm is involved in practically every major outbreak of food poisoning and we have collected tens of millions for victims.

To receive a free case consultation from a Campylobacter lawyer at our firm, follow our link to a free case consultation form and submit the form online.

Labels: Campylobacter, campylobacter lawsuit, outbreak, wisconsin raw milk

The medical center that diagnosed a McDonald's employee with hepatitis A failed to make a timely report of the infectious disease to public health officials -- a "human error" that contributed to the Illinois McDonald's hepatitis outbreak in the Quad City border metropolis.

Labels: Campylobacter, class action lawsuit, hepatitis lawyer, Milan

Health officials involved in the Illinois McDonald's hepatitis A outbreak investigation have acknowledged that restaurant employees have been a focus of the probe. Now one of the Milan, Illinois, McDonald's employees has told a local television station that she was diagnosed with the disease in mid-June and informed her McDonald's manager of her illness on June 25. But the restaurant didn't close until last week, raising questions about who knew what and when. National food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker explores the circumstances as part of his latest opinion piece. Pritzker Olsen Attorneys is currently accepting cases from the Illinois McDonald's outbreak. To reach a hepatitis lawyer at the firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or complete an online form to receive a free case consultation from an attorney.

By Fred Pritzker

I represent survivors of foodborne illness including clients sickened with hepatitis A at restaurants.

Hep A is an acute liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV) that lasts from a few weeks to several months. Although it does not lead to chronic infection, it causes significant and debilitating symptoms and requires precautionary measures to prevent its spread to family members.

In a restaurant setting, Hep A is transmitted by consuming food or drinks contaminated with fecal matter. This usually occurs when a restaurant worker sickened with Hep A goes to work while still contagious and fails to properly wash his/her hands while preparing food served to paying customers like you.

In most cases, this is an utterly preventable disease. Workers exhibiting symptoms of Hep A should not work until cleared by a physician. Restaurant managers should not allow symptomatic employees on the premises.

Thus, it's particularly distressing to see reports of a Hep A outbreak involving a Milan, Illinois, McDonald's in which an estimated 10,000 patrons have been potentially exposed to the virus. Worse, according to WQAD-TV of the Quad Cities, a McDonald's employee diagnosed with hepatitis A told her manager at McDonald's of her diagnosis on June 25. Despite this, the restaurant giant claims it didn't learn of the diagnosis until July 13, following which the restaurant was closed.

I've recently written about proposed new food safety rules designed to reduce the incidence and severity of foodborne illness outbreaks -- including this one it would seem. Generally speaking they are not due to bad policies and procedures but rather gross failure to properly enforce them.

McDonald's is one of the best run food companies in the world. Its employee handbooks specifically instruct employees to:

• Call in if you are ill. Don't come to work when you are sick, such as a with a severe cold or you are suffering from diarrhea or vomiting. You are at a higher risk for transferring bacteria to food or others.
• If you start to feel ill, tell your manager. Good health is important throughout your shift. You are as at a higher risk for transferring bacteria to food or others.

But all the best policies and procedures won't make a restaurant safe if managers ignore the rules or fail to enforce them. Sadly, the only real incentive is public approbation and financial loss. Apparently, the health of customers is not incentive enough.

Labels: Campylobacter, class action lawsuit, hep outbreak, hepatitis A, hepatitis lawyer, Milan

Colorado Campylobacter Outbreak: On April 7, 2009, the Colorado Dept. of Health has reported 11 cases of Campylobacter (campylobacteriosis) that may be associated with raw milk from Kinikin Corner Dairy in Montrose, Colorado. The Colorado Department of Health is advising consumers not to drink raw milk from Kinikin Corner Dairy at this time. Read about a Kinikin Corner Dairy Campylobacter lawsuit.

Minnesota Campylobacter Outbreak: In March of 2009, The Minnesota Department of Health reported a Minnesota Campylobacter outbreak asociated with Chipotle in Apple Valley. Several people were sickened. We are representing a woman who became seriously ill after eating at the Apple Valley Chipotle. Read about a Minnesota Chipotle Lawsuit.

Labels: Campylobacter, campylobacter lawsuit, food poisoning lawyer, illinois campylobacter, lawyer

A list of recommendations for preventing foodborne illnesses has been released by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in response to severe winter weather and flooding in the western United States.

"Power outages can occur at any time of the year and it often takes from a few hours to several days for electricity to be restored to residential areas," said USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Richard Raymond. Bacteria can grow rapidly at temperatures between 40° and 140°F. Foods can be at risk when power goes out for extended periods of time.

FSIS has released the following steps to prepare for a weather emergency:

• Keep an appliance thermometer in the refrigerator and freezer. An appliance thermometer will indicate the temperature in the refrigerator and freezer in case of a power outage and help determine the safety of the food.
• Make sure the freezer is at 0 °F or below and the refrigerator is at 40 °F or below.
• Freeze containers of water for ice to help keep food cold in the freezer, refrigerator or coolers after the power is out.
• Freeze refrigerated items such as leftovers, milk and fresh meat and poultry that you may not need immediately — this helps keep them at a safe temperature longer.
• Plan ahead and know where dry ice and block ice can be purchased.
• Store food on shelves that will be safely out of the way of contaminated water in case of flooding.
• Have coolers on hand to keep refrigerator food cold if the power will be out for more than 4 hours. Purchase or make ice cubes and store in the freezer for use in the refrigerator or in a cooler. Freeze gel packs ahead of time for use in coolers.
• Group food together in the freezer — this helps the food stay cold longer.
  

The following steps are to be taken after a weather emergency:

• Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.
• The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) and the door remains closed.
• Discard refrigerated perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, eggs, leftovers and deli items after 4 hours without power.
• Food may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40 °F or below when checked with a food thermometer.
• Never taste a food to determine its safety!
• Obtain dry or block ice to keep your refrigerator and freezer as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for a prolonged period of time. Fifty pounds of dry ice should hold an 18-cubic-foot full freezer for 2 days.
  

Labels: Campylobacter, food safety, microwave safety