Risks

HEALTH SAFETY ALERT: The CDC has notified health professionals that antibiotics should not be prescribed for E. coli infections. Patients given antibiotics for an E. coli infection are at greater risk of developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of E. coli-related deaths.

Ecoli: Attorneys Provide Information on the Risks of E. coli to You & Your Family
The following information on the E. coli risks is provided by PritzkerOlsen, P.A., a nationally-recognized law firm in the area of food poisoning lawsuits. Attorney Fred Pritzker has 29 years of experience and is currently lead attorney in a major food poisoning lawsuit involving victims from several states. He has also been selected for inclusion in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America. To learn more about Fred Pritzker, please see E. coli: Lawyer and Attorney.

E. coli is one of the most dangerous foodborne illnesses. It lurks in ground meat, which can contaminate other food. Extreme care needs to be taken with any raw meat, but ground meat poses the greatest risk of E. coli poisoning and should be cooked well. Read more about E. coli prevention.

Health officials often quickly become aware of E. coli outbreaks because people get sick fast, some of them may get extremely sick. Some of the health risks of E. coli poisoning include:

Abnormal kidney function
Blindness
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome – Kidney Failure
Hemorrhagic Colitis
High blood pressure
Paralysis
Seizures
Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura
Death

E. coli: Attorneys Provide Information about E. coli Risks with Children and the Elderly
Although most people with an E. coli infection recover completely, some people--especially very young children--develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS is characterized by kidney failure and hemolytic anemia. Up to 15% of hemorrhagic colitis victims may develop HUS, which can lead to permanent loss of kidney function.

Hemolytic uremic syndrome in the elderly, plus two other symptoms, fever and neurologic symptoms, constitutes thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. The mortality rate for this illness among the elderly can be as high as 50%.

Though everyone is believed to be susceptible to hemorrhagic colitis, young children and the elderly appear to more frequently develop serious symptoms.

Hemolytic uremic syndrome is the most common cause of acute kidney failure among North American children. This life-threatening condition is usually treated in intensive care, sometimes with blood transfusions and kidney dialysis.

Approximately one-third of those with hemolytic uremic syndrome experience abnormal kidney function years later, sometimes requiring long-term dialysis. Another 8% suffer from other lifelong complications, such as high blood pressure, seizures, blindness, and paralysis.

E. coli: Attorneys and Free Consultation
If you or someone you love has become seriously ill from an E. coli outbreak, contact us for a free consultation regarding your legal rights and remedies. You can reach one of our attorneys by calling toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or filling in our online consultation form.

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Fred Pritzker on Twitter

Maryland's lab finding of Campylobacter is key to any Family Cow raw milk litigation: http://t.co/WK7HUx8v
Case count grows to 35 in #raw milk Campylobacter outbreak http://t.co/wzJvRMxN
Institutional egg recall by Michael Foods has created a domino of recalls at food stores: http://t.co/OWKQGexz
Foodborne illness outbreak linked to high school basketball game in South Dakota. http://t.co/2Kt8kArb
Upcoming raw milk debate at Harvard. http://t.co/pTTxwf6k #foodsafety #rawmilk
Family Cow raw milk outbreak grows to more than 30 cases: http://t.co/HVUCgMLs
Maryland lab tests confirm Campylobacter in samples of raw milk, 23 now sick. http://t.co/keDFpYCd
Hannaford Supermarket Ground Beef Outbreak Final Update: http://t.co/bRI3qGrh

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