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Personal Injury and Wrongful Death

E. coli O26 Food Poisoning

E. coli Answer BookEscherichia coli O26 (E. coli O26) is known as a verocytotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC). E. coli O26 infections can cause death or serious injury, including hemorrhagic colitis, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP)1. E. coli O26 bacteria grow inside of the intestines of cattle and infect people when manure gets into food or water.

E. coli O26 is similar to the more prevalent E. coli O157:H7 in that it is a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).  It is the Shiga toxins that can cause serious injury or death.  E. coli O26 is part of a group of E. coli serotypes called non-O157 STEC or non-O157 E. coli.

It is harder to identify E. coli O26 than E. coli O157, and most health departments have to send samples to the CDC for a confirming O26 test. Because identification is difficult, E. coli O26 infections are most likely underreported.

E. coli O26 Outbreaks

  • Beef Contaminated with E. coli O26 - "In the spring of 2000, a cluster of indistinguishable Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O26:H11 was identified in Germany by molecular subtyping surveillance. . . Comparison of invoices revealed a certain type of beef ("Seemerrolle") as possible source of infection. This is, to our knowledge, the first multistate outbreak associated with a non-O157 STEC detected by laboratory-based surveillance. Molecular subtyping was pivotal, as disease occurrence was sporadic or family-related" (Werber).
  • Water Contaminated with E. coli O26 - On 28 June 2001, health officials received a report of isolation of E. coli O26 in the case of a 2-year-old girl with hemorrhagic diarrhea3. An epidemiological investigation found that the patient's family used natural water supplied by a water facility run by the local community for uses such as bathing, washing dishes, etc. Water specimens from the the two source-points of the community water facility were positive for E coli O26.

E. coli O26 has been associated with cases of bloody and non-bloody diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).  The amount of compensation for an E. coli victim is dependent on a number of factors, including the length of the hospital stay, the estimated time for recovery, complications related to the E. coli poisoning (for example, TTP-HUS, HUS kidney failure, HUS brain injury, HUS pancreatitis, HUS seizures, HUS coma, and death), estimated medical expenses into the future, and other factors.

This E. coli O26 information is provided by Pritzker Olsen attorneys, who have appeared on CBS News, Fox News and numerous local stations. Fred Pritzker is listed in The Best Lawyers in America. To contact Pritzker Olsen law firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm's free case consultation form.

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Reference: 1. Dambrosioa A., et. al, Escherichia coli O26 in minced beef: Prevalence, characterization and antimicrobial resistance pattern, International Journal of Food Microbiology, Volume 118, Issue 2, 15 September 2007, Pages 218-222.
2. Werber, Dirk, et. al, A Multistate Outbreak of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli O26:H11 Infections in Germany, Detected by Molecular Subtyping Surveillance, © 2002 The University of Chicago Press.
3. Hoshina, Ken, et. al, Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O26 Outbreak Caused by Contaminated Natural Water Supplied by Facility Owned by Local Community, Jpn. J. Infect. Dis., 54, 247-248, 2001.

Keywords: E. coli O26 outbreak, lawyer, lawsuit, ecoli 026, HUS, non-O157 E. coli.


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