An E.coli outbreak has sickened four people in Humboldt County, California. Since July, four people have contracted E.coli infections from the same source which county and state health officials are working to identify.
Lab tests have confirmed that all four cases were caused by the same E.coli strain, never before seen in California. Three of those sickened developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication of E. coli infection characterized by kidney failure. HUS can also damage the nervous system or cause stroke, coma, blindness and death.
“In most cases where the illnesses are spread out like this, the cause is food that has been frozen,” said Fred Pritzker, a food safety attorney who represents E.coli and HUS victims. “Although contact with cows, goats and even deer can transmit E. coli, it is unlikely that animal contact is the problem here.”
Health officials are asking doctors to let them know of any reported cases of bloody diarrhea, a symptom of E. coli infection. “It is important that California health officials stay on this case until the source is found,” said Pritzker. “It is possible that people are still at risk from whatever caused these illnesses.”
