Practice Areas
Foodborne Illness
- Food Poisoning Lawyer
- Food Recalls
- Food Poisoning Outbreaks
- Food Safety
- Botulism
- Campylobacter
- E.Coli Poisoning
- Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome
- Hepatitis-A
- Listeria
- Norovirus
- Salmonella
- Shigella
- Food Safety Law Blog
- Food Poisoning Law Blog
- E. coli Lawyer
Other Practice Areas
Pritzker Olsen Attorneys
PFGE - Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis
Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) is the DNA "fingerprinting" method that scientists use to determine the source of bacterial foodborne outbreaks.
How Does PFGE Work?
The DNA of the bacterial pathogen responsible for a foodborne illness is digested into pieces with enzymes that are able to specifically break the DNA molecule into individual pieces. The digested DNA is placed at one end of the gel. A pulsing electric field applied across the gel drives the DNA pieces into the gel over a period of hours. The smallest pieces slip through the pores of the gel more quickly, so the pieces are separated as distinct bands in the gel, based on size. The resulting pattern of 30 to 50 bands, which resembles a bar code is the DNA “fingerprint." This DNA fingerprint is referred to as the PFGE pattern.
Use of PFGE in Foodborne Outbreak Investigations
Like human fingerprints, each bacteria and its offspring have a unique PFGE pattern. If two bacteria are found with an indistinguishable pattern, it is likely that they have a common source and may be part of a foodborne outbreak. A national computer database of PFGE patterns is housed at CDC as part of PulseNet. Health investigators throughout the country submit PFGE patterns of pathogens that have made people sick to the database over the Internet. The computer then automatically scans previously submitted patterns searching for matches, i.e., indistinguishable DNA fingerprint patterns of pathogens that have made other people sick. If a match is found, a signal is given to the submitter that duplicate patterns are present and where they came from, so that an investigation can begin to look for a common source.
PFGE as Microbiological Proof in a Food Poisoning Case
The microbiological proof in a food poisoning case consists of several parts:
- Tests are run on stool or blood samples taken from people with symptoms of foodborne illness to determine if a foodborne pathogen is the cause. For example, if someone has bloody stools and other symptoms of E. coli O157:H7, tests are done to determine if it is indeed E. coli and if the serotype of E. coli involved is O157:H7.
- Tests are run on any food or environmental samples collected by health officials to determine if the samples are positive for a foodborne pathogen.
- With bacterial foodborne pathogens – Campylobacter, E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella and Shigella - PFGE testing can be done to determine the genetic fingerprint (PFGE pattern) of the bacteria. If PFGE patterns match, it suggests that various unrelated individuals may have been infected by a common source. If the PFGE pattern of a food product matches the PFGE patterns of those sickened in an outbreak, it is highly likely that the food product is the source of the outbreak. Matching PFGE patterns are an important part of proving “causation” in a food poisoning case seeking money damages.
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Food Poisoning News
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Non-O157 E. coli (Non-O157 STEC)
Non-O157 E. coli can cause serious injury and death, and yet ground beef contaminated with these strains of E. coli are not considered adulterated under federal law. The six most common strains of non-O157 E. coli include E. coli O26, E. coli O45, E. coli O103, E. coli O111, E. coli O121 and E. coli O145.
Steak E. coli Outbreak
Our E. coli lawyers are investigating cases of E. coli O157 that have been linked to steak served at restaurants in California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Washington.
Fairbank Farms Beef Recall Lawsuit
Fairbank Farms ground beef products have been associated with E. coli cases in California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont.
Petting Zoo Llama E. coli HUS
Our law firm has been retained to represent a 3-year-old child who contracted an E. coli infection after visiting an apple orchard/petting zoo in Minnesota. The child developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
E. coli Wrongful Death Settlement
We have recently settled a number of E. coli cases involving victims of various E. coli outbreaks, including a wrongful death claim.
Recent Foodborne Outbreaks
- Taco John's Lawsuit: Taco Johns food poisoning lawsuit information.
- Taco Bell Lawsuit: Information about a Taco Bell food poisoning lawsuit.
- Chipotle Lawsuit: Update on Chipotle food poisoning case and Chipotle lawsuit FAQ.
- Subway Salmonellosis Lawsuit: 34 people were sickened, and 14 of those were hospitalized, all in Illinios.
- Hartmann Dairy E coli Lawsuit Lawyer - 5 people, 4 of them children, contracted E. coli, and one of those developed HUS.
- Freshway Foods lettuce lawsuit - We are representing one of the people who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome.
- Pasture Maid Creamery Campylobacter: Our lawyers are representing a man who was paralyzed with Guillain-Barre syndrome.
- Peppa's E. coli Lawsuit - An E. coli outbreak in Hawaii associated with the restaurant.
- Daniele Salami Lawsuit: Daniele salami (salame) has been linked to a Salmonella Montevideo outbreak.
- Steak E. coli Outbreak: Over 20 people were sickened by blade-tenderized, non-intact steak.
- Fairbank Farms Lawsuit: A multistate E. coli outbreak has been linked to Fairbank Farms hamburger.
This is attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. The result of each case is determined by the specific facts and the applicable law.