Three months of investigation into one of this summer's most serious HUS E. coli outbreaks has not pinpointed what food item sent people to the hospital after eating at the BBQ Shack restaurant in Toccoa, Georgia. But other evidence in the outbreak is supporting victims as they continue to make payment claims for their distress. According to a document from the Georgia Department of Health, officials learned of the outbreak after a state epidemiology surveillance officers noticed a cluster of E. coli cases in lab reports from the Stephens County Hospital - four patients in one week back in early May. The Stephens County Health Department had also received complaints about the BBQ Shack in Toccoa after some customers reported being ill after eating at the restaurant. Public health … [Read more...]
BBQ Shack E coli O157:H7 Outbreak in Toccoa, GA: Update and Video
Attorney Fred Pritzker, national food safety attorney, is providing updated information on the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that has been associated with eating at the BBQ Shack in Toccoa, Georgia. To date, 18 cases of E. coli O157:H7 have been reported in Stephens County, Georgia. Of the sickened, at least 7 required hospitalization and 5 of those individuals went on to develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)- a very serious complication of shiga toxin producing E.coli infections that can cause kidney failure and death, especially in children and the elderly. Health investigators did not find the menu item at the BBQ Shack that was contaminated with E. coli. This does not prevent E. coli victims and their families from filing lawsuits against the BBQ Shack for compensation, according to … [Read more...]
BBQ Shack E. coli and HUS Outbreak in Toccoa, GA, Lawsuits Inevitable
At least 11 people have contracted E. coli O157:H7 infections in an outbreak linked to the BBQ Shack, a restaurant in Toccoa, Georgia, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. Ten of the victims of the outbreak are Georgia residents, and one is a resident of South Carolina. Seven of the outbreak victims have been hospitalized, five with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of kidney failure in children in the United States. HUS-E. coli O157 can be fatal, giving rise to a wrongful death claim. It is still unknown what food item at the restaurant was tainted with E. coli, but according to national food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker, outbreak victims and their families will most likely still have claims against the restaurant. "Restaurant owners are liable for … [Read more...]
