The outbreak of clover sprouts E. coli O103 hits Utah hard with the most illnesses of any state. At least 27 people are sick in Utah as of March 19, 2020. There are 39 people sickened in the entire outbreak. Public health officials say that epidemiologic, traceback, and laboratory evidence has found that raw clover sprouts are the source of this outbreak. No official has offered an explanation of why the number of ill persons in Utah exploded from 3 to 27 in just a few weeks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that clover sprouts served at Jimmy John's restaurants in Utah, as well as other states, may have made people sick. In interviews, 58% of ill persons said that ate sprouts at a Jimmy John's restaurant the week before they got sick. A recall of Chicago … [Read more...]
Clover Sprouts E. coli O103 Hits Utah Hard With Most Illnesses of Any State
E. coli O103 Jimmy John’s Clover Sprouts Outbreak Sickens 22 in Iowa
An E. coli O103 Jimmy John's clover sprouts outbreak has sickened at least 22 people in Iowa, according to a warning letter the FDA sent to Jimmy John's and Sprouts Unlimited on February 21, 2020. This outbreak was briefly mentioned by the FDA in a recall notice on December 18, 2019, but there were very few details about the outbreak at that time. The FDA warning letter details information about five food poisoning outbreaks linked to Jimmy John's restaurants going back to 2012. The outbreaks were caused by E. coli O103, Salmonella Montevideo, E. coli O102, E. coli O157:H7, and E. coli O26. The letter states that, "Taken together, these outbreaks, which spanned over the past seven years and impacted no fewer than seventeen states demonstrate the corporate-wide supplier control … [Read more...]
Minnesota State Fair Lawsuit Filed For a Child Sickened with E. coli O157:H7
The lawyers at Pritzker Hageman have filed a lawsuit on behalf of a 4-year-old boy who was sickened with an E. coli O157:H7 infection he contracted at the Minnesota State Fair last summer. The boy suffered permanent kidney damage as a complication of this infection. The outbreak at the fair sickened 11 people ; it was announced in mid-September 2019. Contact with livestock was a key factor in this outbreak according to public health officials, and in fact many patients said they visited the Miracle of Birth exhibit and had direct contact with goats, sheep, piglets, and calves. Ruminant animals such as goats, sheep, and cows can carry E. coli O157:H7 bacteria in their intestines. The pathogen is shed in their feces, and can contaminate bedding, floors, fences, and gates in the … [Read more...]
It’s State Fair Time! Watch Out for E. Coli …
It's state fair time! State fairs around the country are in full swing. Some have ended, and some have yet to begin. These gatherings are celebrations of the harvest and of the hard work of farmers. But in the past, these fairs and other late summer and early fall gatherings have been the source of dangerous E. coli outbreaks. This year, an E. coli O157 outbreak at the Minnesota State Fair has sickened 11 people, hospitalizing six. One person has developed HUS. Most of the patients visited the Miracle of Birth exhibit, and had contact with ruminant animals. Earlier this year, a deadly E. coli outbreak at the San Diego County Fair sickened 10 people. Three people were hospitalized and one 2-year-old died. In 2014, an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to the traveling Zerebko Zoo … [Read more...]
Pritzker Hageman Files First Cooper’s Hawk Winery Cyclospora Lawsuit
Pritzker Hageman attorneys filed the first lawsuit in the Cooper's' Hawk Winery cyclospora outbreak today, Friday, July 12, 2019. The suit was filed on behalf of Jacksonville resident Lekeysha Bentley, who became ill after eating food at that venue in Jacksonville, Florida in June 2019. The lawsuit (Filing number 92497394) was filed in Florida's Fourth Judicial Circuit Court. Because of her illness, Ms. Bentley suffered with debilitating symptoms for weeks. She has received treatment, but her symptoms have not abated. Food safety attorney Fred Pritzker, who has represented many people who have been sickened in every major food poisoning outbreak in the last few years, said, "No one should get sick just because they decided to go out to eat for dinner. These patients can be … [Read more...]
FDA Weighs In On Salmonella Uganda Papaya Outbreak
Update: The CDC now says that Cavi brand papayas distributed by Agroson's LLC of the Bronx are linked to this outbreak. The FDA has released information about the Salmonella Uganda papaya outbreak that has sickened at least 62 people in 8 states. the FDA is increasing import screening for whole, fresh papayas and will continue to investigate the sauce and source of this outbreak. They are also tracking distribution of these products. Preliminary analysis shows that whole, fresh papayas from Mexico are potentially linked to this outbreak. The papayas were distributed in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. Consumers in those states should not consume any whole, fresh papayas imported from Mexico and should throw them away. The FDA is … [Read more...]
Lawyer Warns of E. coli Danger at Petting Zoos
Attorney Fred Pritzker is parents warning about the dangers of E. coli infections from petting zoos. As the weather warms and summer starts, petting zoos are popular attractions for families with young children. Unfortunately, those venues can be and have been the source of serious and even deadly E. coli outbreaks. The issue is that ruminant animals often held at petting zoos, such as goats, sheep, and cows, can carry Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) bacteria in their guts. The animals don't get sick from this pathogenic bacteria because they lack the gene that permits the bacteria to grow and produce toxins that destroy red blood cells. It doesn't matter how old the animal is; young animals can carry this pathogen. The bacteria are shed in the animal's feces. From there, … [Read more...]
Center For Food Safety Forces FDA to Designate High Risk Foods
The Center for Food Safety (CFS) has forced the FDA to complete the high risk food designations and reporting requirements that were part of the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). CFS filed a lawsuit against the FDA in October 2018 for delaying those requirements. Now, the FDA must designate "high risk" foods by September 2020 and establish the reporting requirements for those foods by November 2022. The settlement was decided in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Ryan Talbott, CFS staff attorney, said in a statement, "This is a major victory for public health. FDA has sat on its hands for years, neglecting to make these high-risk designations, while outbreaks caused by Salmonella, E. coli, and other pathogens have sicken and killed … [Read more...]
FDA Inspects Del Monte Facility After Vegetable Tray Salmonella Outbreak
Today, the FDA inspects Del Monte facility that produced vegetable trays linked to a Salmonella outbreak. At least three people in Wisconsin and one in Minnesota have been sickened after allegedly eating these products. The Del Monte facility is located in Kankakee, Illinois. On May 21, 2019, the Wisconsin Department of Health issued a press release stating that vegetable trays produced by Del Monte Fresh Produce that were sold at Kwik Trip convenience stores in Minnesota and Wisconsin have sickened at least four people. There was no word on whether or not any patients have been hospitalized. Illness onset dates for this outbreak range from April 13 to April 27, 2019. Kwik Trip has removed all Del Monte vegetable trays from their stores. However, the trays may have been sold at … [Read more...]
Raw Ground Tuna Salmonella Newport Outbreak Ends With 15 Sick
The raw ground tuna Salmonella Newport outbreak has ended after sickening 15 people in 8 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That tuna, produced at JK Fish in Vietnam, was imported by Jensen Tuna in Louisiana. The case count by state is: Colorado (1), Connecticut (1), Illinois (1), Iowa (1), Minnesota (1), New York (2), North Dakota (4), and Washington (4). Two people were hospitalized in this outbreak. Illness onset dates range from January 8, 2019 to March 31, 2019. The patient age range was from 24 to 85 years. No deaths were reported. Officials used the PulseNet system to find people sickened in this outbreak. Whole genome sequencing performed on the isolates taken from ill persons showed that they were closely related … [Read more...]
