The family of a boy sickened who is one of 14 people sickened in an E. coli outbreak linked to ground beef produced by PT Farm of North Haverhill, NH has filed a lawsuit on his behalf. The nine year old became so sick after eating the contaminated beef that he was hospitalized.
At least three others were hospitalized in the outbreak linked to beef produced at PT Farm and sold under the brand names PT Farms, Chestnut Farms, Robie Farms and Miles Smith Farm. Ten illnesses were reported in New Hampshire, two in Massachusetts and one each in Maine and Vermont.
A recall was issued for the products which were shipped to retail locations and institutional clients in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. Sold in various weights and sizes, the recalled products have the establishment number “M8868” inside the USDA mark of inspection. Health officials urge consumers to check their freezers for the recalled meat.
E. coli can cause serious illness and death. Symptoms of an infection include abdominal cramping and diarrhea that can be bloody. E. coli infections should not be treated with antibiotics or anti-diarrheal medicines as they can worsen symptoms or cause life-threatening complications such as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which causes kidney failure, seizure, stroke, coma and death, according to the Centers fro Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
