On October 26, 2009, Crocetti's Oakdale Packing Co., doing business as, South Shore Meats, Inc. in Brockton, Massachusetts recalled about 1,039 pounds of fresh ground beef patties derived from bench trim as well as mechanically tenderized beef cuts based on confirmed laboratory evidence of the presence of E. coli O157:H7 in leftover ground beef samples obtained from Camp Bournedale, a nature camp in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Suspect patties were collected and tested by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) after more than 20 school children and adults from Lincoln Middle School in Rhode Island, who had visited Camp Bournedale the week of October 13th, became ill with gastrointestinal symptoms. Read more about the Lincoln Middle School E. coli outbreak linked to Camp Bournedale.

In a recent press release, E. coli Lawyer Fred Pritzker stated:

More resources must be devoted to federal food safety. The current system is undermined by too much fragmentation of responsibility and not enough coordination between federal, state and local agencies.

One also has to wonder if microbiological testing is lax. Ground beef and other meat products should not be allowed to leave the manufacturer unless their safety is confirmed. Eating a hamburger should not be a high-risk activity.

DPH is continuing to investigate the outbreak in cooperation with the Rhode Island Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There is now laboratory evidence that the ground beef collected at the camp is the same strain of E. coli O157:H7 confirmed in two of the Lincoln Middle School students who attended Camp Bournedale.

DPH is continuing to work with United States Department of Agriculture to identify all affected beef products that will need to be recalled. To date, the following South Shore Meats Company products have been recalled:

• 10-pound boxes containing 40, 4-ounce packages of "Beef Sirloin Patties."
• 7.5-pound boxes containing 12, 10-ounce packages of "Beef Teres Major Steaks Seasoned."
• Boxes of 24, 5-ounce packages of "BEEF BUTT STEAKS, (Filet Style)."
• 9-pound boxes containing 12, 12-ounce packages of "BEEF BUTT STEAK, Center Cut, (sirloin style)."
• 9-pound boxes containing 12, 12-ounce packages of "BEEF BUTT STEAK, Center Cut, (filet style)."
• 6.75-pound boxes containing 12, 9-ounce packages of "BEEF BUTT STEAK, Center Cut, (sirloin style)."
• Boxes of 16, 10-ounce packages of "Beef Top Butt Steaks Sirloin Style."
• Boxes of 20, 8-ounce packages of "Beef Butt Steaks Club Style."
• Boxes of 26, 6-ounce packages of "Beef Top Butt Steaks Sirloin Style."
• Boxes of 12, 10-ounce packages of "BEEF BUTT STEAKS, (Filet Style)."
• 6-pound boxes containing 16, 6-ounce packages of "Beef Filet Of Sirloin, Executive Cut."
• Boxes of 12, 8-ounce packages of "BEEF BUTT STEAKS, (Filet Style)."

Each box of recalled beef bears the establishment number "EST. 6336" inside the USDA mark of inspection and may also bear a date code of "281." The beef products were produced on October 8, 2009, and were distributed to wholesale distributors and institutions in Massachusetts.

If your child has been diagnosed with E. coli O157, contact Pritzker Olsen Attorneys. Our law firm is representing people sickened by E. coli O157, including people who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). E. coli HUS is the leading cause of kidney failure in children in the United States.

Labels: beef recall, E coli kidney failure, E coli lawyer

Pritzker Olsen law firm has been retained to represent a 3 ½ year-old child sickened with E. coli poisoning and hemolytic uremic syndrome. The child is believed to have contracted the illness at a local apple orchard/ petting zoo in the Twin Cities (MN) area.

Preliminary testing indicates that the genetic fingerprint of the E .coli O157:H7 obtained from the child’s stool sample matches the genetic fingerprint of E. coli from llama feces tested at the petting zoo.

Fred Pritzker, a leading E. coli litigation attorney, is representing the child in this outbreak. “It does not appear the operator of this facility took the necessary precautions to prevent this child’s severe injuries."

There may be other victims from this outbreak. Unconfirmed reports indicate that an older person may also have developed E .coli O157:H7 poisoning and hemolytic uremic syndrome after visiting the same apple orchard/petting zoo in the Twin Cities area.

For a free consultation about an E. coli-HUS lawsuit, please call (612)338-0202 or 800-377-8900 (toll free), email Attorney Fred Pritzker, or submit our online consultation form.

Labels: E coli kidney failure, E coli lawyer, lawyers

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

Attorney Fred Pritzker has settled an E. coli wrongful death case linked to fresh spinach. The terms of the settlement are confidential. The case involved an elderly woman who ate spinach contaminated with E. coli. The woman was diagnosed with E. coli O157:H7 poisoning, and genetic fingerprinting tests connected her case of E. coli O157:H7 with the 2006 E. coli outbreak linked to fresh spinach.

Fred Pritzker was interviewed by a local television station regarding the case. He also wrote an editorial regarding the outbreak addressed food safety issues.

Labels: E coli kidney failure, E coli lawyer, food poisoning lawyer

The Tennessee Department of Health is leading a national outbreak investigation of E. coli O157:H7 that appears to be associated with consumption of Totino's and Jeno's brand frozen pizzas containing pepperoni topping.

A total of 21 laboratory-confirmed cases of E. coli O157:H7 have been identified and are potentially linked with this outbreak, with illness onsets ranging from mid-July through early October.

Of the eight cases reported in Tennessee, five people were hospitalized. However, all eight patients have now recovered.

Cases of illness have been reported in a total of 10 states.

"The Department of Health continues to conducts groundbreaking work that is recognized nationally," said Health Commissioner Susan R. Cooper, MSN, RN. "From emergency preparedness to disease outbreaks, the employees of the State Health Department work diligently and prepare tirelessly to be able to respond quickly to any public health emergency that threatens the wellbeing of Tennessee's residents."

As a result of the possible contamination, General Mills, the parent company of Totino's and Jeno's brand products, has issued a voluntary recall of 414,000 cases of pizza products. The company is working closely with federal officials and state health departments to identify any potential problem. Totino's and Jeno's pizzas are sold in the freezer section at grocery stores and other outlets throughout Tennessee and nationwide. The Department advises consumers not to eat any Totino's or Jeno's brand frozen pizzas containing pepperoni topping.

"An ongoing investigation by Tennessee and other state and federal public health officials has shown a strong association between several cases of recent illness and consumption of Totino's and Jeno's pizzas that contain pepperoni," said Tennessee Deputy State Epidemiologist Tim F. Jones, M.D. "The Department is working closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify additional information about the extent of the outbreak."

Consumers with questions about the recall should contact the company at 1-800-949-9055. Representatives also can provide information about receiving a full refund for Totino's or Jeno's pizza products. More information can also be obtained on the General Mills Web site at http://www.generalmills.com/corporate/media_center/index.aspx.

"Consumers who have any of these Totino's pizzas in their freezers should not eat them," said Jones. "Anyone who has eaten the product but did not become ill need not take any special action. People who have severe diarrhea should seek medical care, and let their doctors know if they have consumed frozen pizza within the week before they became sick."

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a common cause of foodborne illness. An estimated 73,000 cases of infection and 61 deaths occur in the United States each year. People generally become ill from E. coli O157:H7 two to eight days after being exposed to the bacteria, with an average onset of illness of three to four days after exposure. E. coli O157:H7 infection often causes severe bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Most people recover completely within five to 10 days, but some people, particularly young children and the elderly, are at increased risk for serious illness. Antibiotic therapy is not necessary for most patients, and may increase the risk of complications.

Cattle are the principal source of E. coli O157 infection; they carry E. coli O157 in their intestines. Though most illness caused by E. coli O157 has been associated with eating undercooked, contaminated ground beef, people have also become ill from eating contaminated bean sprouts, fresh leafy vegetables such as lettuce and spinach, and other foods. E. coli in food can be killed by thorough cooking, but the bacteria can survive undercooking or uneven cooking, as may happen in some microwave ovens. Consumers are reminded to thoroughly cook all products that are not ready-to-eat, such as frozen pizzas, according to package instructions.

For more information on the product recall, visit the Department of Health Web site at http://health.state.tn.us/ or the U.S. Department of Agriculture Web site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_049_2007_Release/index.asp. To learn more about E. coli infection and how to prevent it, visit http://health.state.tn.us/FactSheets/ecoli.htm.

http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_116253.asp

Labels: E coli kidney failure, E coli lawyer, pizza