A lawsuit stemming from the E. coli outbreak associated with Los Burritos restaurant in Lombard, IL, has been filed in DuPage County Circuit Court in IL. The plaintiff is among the 11 confirmed and 10 probable cases of E. coli poisoning associated with restaurant’s food.
The woman from DuPage County ate at the restaurant on June 6, 2013 and became sick three days later. After two days of symptoms including severe abdominal cramps, vomiting and bloody diarrhea she saw a doctor and returned home. The next morning she woke with severe pain and was rushed to the emergency department at Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, Illinois the morning of June 12 where she was hospitalized for five days. The mother of six told a local tv station reporter that she had never experienced such pain.
E. coli poisoning can also cause severe complications including (HUS) hemolytic uremic syndrome and TTP (thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura) which can both cause kidney failure, seizure, stroke and coma. Treatments include, dialysis, plasma replacement and blood transfusions. In some cases, by the time a patient seeks medical care for HUS, the E. coli culture will be negative because the E. coli has passed through the patient’s system. That’s one reason why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends doing a rectal swab on admission for any patient suspected of having HUS in addition to getting stol samples.
DuPage County health officials are investigating the outbreak in cooperation with the state health department. They are testing food samples and restaurant employees. The restaurant is closed during the investigation.
