Last summer a 3 year old girl died and 118 others got extremely sick after being stricken with E. coli poisoning at the New York county fair. The E. coli bacteria had seeped into the water supply from the run-off of a cattle farm close to the fair where the cattle were infected with the deadly bacteria. The people at the fair who were infected came in contact with the bacteria either by drinking the water or eating something rinsed in the contaminated water.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control about 76 million people per year in the U.S. will suffer from food poisoning. Of those, 5000 will die. Some forms of food poisoning turn into a condition called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome and this can damage blood vessels, create kidney failure, strokes, coma or blindness.
Food-borne illness or food poisoning is frequently not recognized because of it’s resemblance to the stomach flu. Both food poisoning and the stomach flu share these symptoms: headache, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever. Food poisoning symptoms don’t necessarily show up immediately after eating the contaminated food; they can show up as late as 36 hours later. The one symptom that is unique to food poisoning and not the flu is bloody diarrhea- go to the doctor’s immediately with this symptom. Left untreated some types of food poisoning can be fatal, so seek immediate medical attention particularly if the symptoms are present in a child.
How can you reduce your chances of acquiring food-poisoning? By knowing how it is contracted and avoiding risky situations. Most people have been educated on the proper handling and cooking of meat products to reduce salmonella poisoning (heating it to 140 degrees and proper washing of preparation surfaces). Food items such as salads and desserts that sit out for long periods of time are often the cause of food poisoning. Also shellfish harvested from sewage contaminated waters can be infected with bacteria – so avoiding this food is wise. Beware of the bagged salads that are pre-cut in the grocery stores; they still need to be washed before eating to rinse any bacterial contamination off.
Other E. coli Lawsuits
Deadly Nationwide E.coli Outbreak Linked to Grimmway Farms Organic Baby and Whole Carrots sickens 48
E. coli Outbreak tied to Red Cow and Hen House Restaurants
Rockwood Summit High School E. coli Outbreak
McDonalds linked to 104 E. coli cases and 1 Death
2 dead with 22 injured in E. coli Hamburger Outbreak in Montana
E. coli Outbreak in Washington and California linked to Walnuts
Seattle PCC Market E. coli outbreak linked to Guacamole
11 with E. coli linked to Raw Milk LLC Cheese
Miguel’s Cocina 4S Ranch E. coli Outbreak sickens 35
Huntley High School students hit with E. coli
Marler Clark retained by a dozen families to investigate Fueling Brain E. coli Outbreak
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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
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
Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli can also cause food poisoning. E. coli O157:H7 may be the most notorious serotype of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), but there are at least...
Sources of E. coli
Where do E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) come from? The primary reservoirs, or ultimate sources, of E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 STEC in nature are...
Transmission of and Infection with E. coli
While many dairy cattle-associated foodborne disease outbreaks are linked to raw milk and other raw dairy products (e.g., cheeses, butter, ice cream), dairy cattle still represent a source of contamination...
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