Connecticut E. coli Outbreak

If you or a loved one was sickened in a Connecticut E. coli outbreak, you need an E. coli lawyer to help you and your family get the money you deserve. Contact our law firm for a free consultation.

Testing Bacteria

Northfork Ground Bison E. coli Outbreak and Recall

Two people in Connecticut were among those sickened in a 2019 E. coli outbreak linked to Northfork ground bison that sickened a total of 33 people in eight states. Eighteen people were hospitalized. Two strains of E. coli were associated with this outbreak, E. coli O103 and E. coli O121.

The number of cases reported from each state was:  CT (2), FL (6), IL (1), MI (1), MO (1), NJ (3), NY (14) and PA (5)

On July 16, 2019,  Northfork Bison Distributions, Inc., in Saint-Leonard, Quebec, Canada, issued a recall for ground bison products sold to restaurants and at grocery stores.

Lettuce E. coli Lawsuit Linked to Romaine Outbreak That Sickened 2 in Connecticut

Two people in Connecticut were sickened in a romaine outbreak. A lettuce E. coli lawsuit has been filed. The outbreak began March 13, 2018 and ended in June of 2018. Around 200 people were sickened in 36 states, including Connecticut. Over 80 people were hospitalized. The CDC found the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 in canal water samples taken from the Yuma, Arizona, growing region, meaning the outbreak was most likely caused by Romaine lettuce grown in that area. According to the FDA, the last shipments of romaine lettuce from the Yuma growing region were harvested on April 16, 2018, and the harvest season has ended.

CDC Romaine E. coli Outbreak Map June 1

 

2 Sickened in E. coli Outbreak Linked to Adams Farm Beef

In 2016, an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to Adams Farm beef products sickened 11 people in 5 states: Connecticut (2), Massachusetts (5), Pennsylvania (2), Virginia (1), and West Virginia (1). The illness-onset dates ranged from June 27 to September 10, 2016. People from one to 74 years of age were sickened.

Adams Farm E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak

2 in CT Part of Wegmans Spinach and Spring Mix E. coli Outbreak

In 2012, 33 people in five states were sickened in the E. coli outbreak linked to Wegmans brand Organic Spinach and Spring Mix salad and bagged salad sold at other stores.Two of the illnesses were reported in Connecticut. Other states reporting illnesses were: Massachusetts (3), New York (26), Pennsylvania (1), and Virginia (1).  Illness onset dates for these victims range from October 18, 2012 to November 3, 2012.

 

7 People in Connecticut Sickened after Consuming Raw Milk

In 2008, seven people fell ill in Connecticut after consuming raw milk that may have been contaminated with E. coli. The raw milk was produced by the Town Farm Dairy in Simsbury, Connecticut. The farm has since stopped the production and sale of all milk products. Investigators say that drinking raw milk from Town Farm Dairy was a common link among patients.

Two of the victims of this outbreak are toddlers who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of kidney failure in children in the United States.

Unlike pasteurized milk, raw milk has not been treated to kill harmful bacteria such as E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes. Federal regulations require that all milk products produced for interstate sale be pasteurized.  Connecticut allows the sale of raw milk, but there must be a label on the product saying that this product contains organisms that may be harmful to human health.

Some dairies won’t sell someone raw milk unless that person signs a contract saying that the dairy will be held harmless if the person becomes ill. If you signed a contract with a dairy and then became ill, contact us regarding the validity of the contract.

Circumstances at Town and Farm Dairy may have caused or contributed to the contamination. The dairy was originally shut down by its owner in 2003, but was reopened recently by a group known as Friends of Town Farm Dairy.  The group running the dairy had hired farmers to run daily operations, but the farmers left July 1, 2008, leaving the group’s board members and volunteers to operate the farm.

The contaminated milk was purchased with sell-by dates of June 24, July 4, and July 16, 2008, which was during the transition period of the farmers leaving.  The timing of the outbreak suggests not enough attention was being paid to the safety of the dairy products during the transition period and after.
Raw Milk