--- title: E. coli cases hit home for families date: 2005-04-06T12:48:28-07:00 author: Bill Marler canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/e-coli-cases-hit-home-for-families" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / [Outbreaks](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/outbreaks) / # E. coli cases hit home for families ![](http://www.ecoliblog.com/article23.jpg)The [Florida petting zoo E. coli outbreaks](http://www.fair-safety.com/fair-outbreaks/view/florida-state-fair-central-florida-fair-florida-strawberry-festival/) brings back memories for Andrea Bourget. Although she has no proof and no other infections were reported locally, Bourget suspects that her son, Matthew, who was 15 months old at the time, had contracted the bacteria from a local petting zoo. Matthew spent six weeks in the hospital, and luckily did not develop hemolytic uremic syndrome, which comes from exposure to E. coli O157:H7. Kelly Docherty’s daughter Averey suffered from [HUS](http://www.about-hus.com/) in 2001 from exposure to red meat rather than a petting zoo. The experience for me was absolutely life altering, Docherty says. During Averey’s nearly five-week hospital stay she experienced renal failure, dialysis, blood transfusions, her bowels shutting down, and a fungal infection in her kidneys. She also required painful bloodwork for weeks after her release. Although Averey, now 5, has a good bill of health, she still suffers from bowel problems and must be closely monitored during periods of change in the kidneys — puberty, pregnancy and menopause. Dr. Julian Midgley, who specializes in kidney disease at Calgary’s Alberta Children’s Hospital, says that in the 10 years he’s been at the hospital he’s seen an average of 10 cases of HUS in a year, with only one death. He cautions: > *“Clearly, very small children who can’t stop putting things in their mouth shouldn’t be petting animals. Older children need to make sure they wash their hands and are careful for what they touch.”* ### Other E. coli Lawsuits [Raw Farms linked to another Raw Milk Cheese E.coli Outbreak - 9 People sickened - Company refuses to recall product](https://marlerclark.com/raw-farms-linked-to-another-raw-milk-cheese-e-coli-outbreak-7-people-sickened) [10 with E. coli linked to Cheese](https://marlerclark.com/3-with-e-coli-linked-to-cheese) [Sycamore Pool in Chico California Contaminated with E.coli - Two teens in ICU](https://marlerclark.com/sycamore-pool-in-chico-california-contaminated-with-e-coli-two-teens-in-icu) [Deadly Nationwide E.coli Outbreak Linked to Grimmway Farms Organic Baby and Whole Carrots sickens 48](https://marlerclark.com/nationwide-e-coli-outbreak-linked-to-grimmway-farms-organic-baby-and-whole-carrots) [E. coli Outbreak tied to Red Cow and Hen House Restaurants](https://marlerclark.com/e-coli-outbreak-tied-to-red-cow-and-hen-house-restaurants) [Rockwood Summit High School E. coli Outbreak](https://marlerclark.com/rockwood-summit-high-school-e-coli-outbreak) [McDonalds linked to 104 E. coli cases and 1 Death](https://marlerclark.com/mcdonalds-linked-to-nearly-50-e-coli-cases-and-1-death) [2 dead with 22 injured in E. coli Hamburger Outbreak in Montana](https://marlerclark.com/1-dead-with-13-injured-in-e-coli-hamburger-outbreak-in-montana) [E. coli Outbreak in Washington and California linked to Walnuts](https://marlerclark.com/e-coli-outbreak-in-washington-and-california-linked-to-walnuts) [Seattle PCC Market E. coli outbreak linked to Guacamole](https://marlerclark.com/seattle-ppc-market-e-coli-outbreak-linked-to-guacamole) [11 with E. coli linked to Raw Milk LLC Cheese](https://marlerclark.com/10-with-e-coli-linked-to-raw-milk-llc-cheese) [Miguel’s Cocina 4S Ranch E. coli Outbreak sickens 35](https://marlerclark.com/miguels-cocina-4s-ranch-e-coli-outbreak) ### Lawsuit updates about foodborne illnesses [Reactive Arthritis Lawsuit 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The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ Get a free consultation ](https://marlerclark.com/contact) ##### Related Resources ###### [E. coli Food Poisoning](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/e-coli-food-poisoning) What is E. coli and how does it cause food poisoning? Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a highly studied, common species of bacteria that belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae, so... ###### [E. coli O157:H7](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/e-coli-o157h7) E. coli O157:H7 is a foodborne pathogen that causes food poisoning. E. coli O157:H7 is the most commonly identified and the most notorious Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) serotype in... ###### [Non-O157 STEC](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli/non-o157-stec) Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli can also cause food poisoning. 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