An investigation by the Washington State Department of Health concluded that contaminated, undercooked ground beef in the school lunch tacos was the cause of an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that occurred at the Finley Elementary School. The WDOH final outbreak report concludes in part:
As no other common school activity was identified other than eating at the school cafeteria, it is reasonable to conclude that a meal served at the school was the likely source of illness. Cattle are the known reservoir of E. coli O157:H7. Thus, it is likely that consuming the ground beef served in the tacos was the vehicle.
A jury agreed with the Benton-Franklin Health District and Washington State Department of Health investigators’ conclusion, and in 2001 Marler Clark won a record $4.6 million judgment on behalf of 11 children who became ill with E. coli O157:H7 infections during the outbreak. Several of the children suffered from Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, and were hospitalized.