Personal Injury Law

Nebraska Beef E. coli Sickens 49 in Georgia (4), Indiana (1), Kentucky (1), Michigan (20), New York (1), Ohio (21), and Utah (1)

By Bill Marler, Esq.

According to the CDC today, state departments of health and agriculture in several states, collaborating local health jurisdictions, CDC, and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) are investigating a multi-state outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections.  As of July 17, 2008, 49 confirmed cases have been linked both epidemiologically and by molecular fingerprinting to this outbreak. The number of cases in each state is as follows: Georgia (4), Indiana (1), Kentucky (1), Michigan (20), New York (1), Ohio (21), and Utah (1).  Their illnesses began between May 27 and July 1, 2008.  Twenty-seven persons have been hospitalized. According to the CDC only one patient (we believe it to be as many as 6) developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS).  No deaths have been reported.  Twenty-eight (57%) patients are female.  The ages of patients range from 4 to 78 years; 47% are between 10 and 24 years old.  We will be filing a complaint against Nebraska Beef Ltd., on Monday on behalf of a Georgia woman still struggling with HUS.

In 2006 only 186,000 pounds of E. coli-tainted meat was recalled.  I have blogged about why the "Uptick" in 2007 and 2008, and why we are seeing a huge increase in E. coli cases in the last year.  Here are the names of the companies, the dates of the recalls, and the amounts in pounds and tons for 2007 and 2008 to date (I did not list the Westland/Hallmark 143,000,000 pound recall, because it was a Class II recall and stupid):

2007

Snapps Ferry 12/17/07 102
Blue Ribbon Meats 10/24/07 8,200
Natural State Meat Company 1/29/07 4,240
Tyson Fresh Meats 3/2/07 16,743
Richwood Meat Company 4/20/07 107,943
HFX, Inc 4/20/07 259,230
PM Beef Holdings 5/10/07 117,500
Davis Creek Meats 5/11/07 129,000
United Food Group 6/3-6/9/07 5,700,000
Abbott's Meat Inc 7/21/07 26,669
Custom Pack 7/25/07 5,920
Tyson Fresh Meats 6/8/07 40,440
Topps Meat Company 10/6/07 21,700,000
Impero Foods 9/29/07 65
Fairbank Farms 9/5/07 884
J&B Meats 10/13/07 173,554
Cargill 10/6/07 845,000
Cargill 11/3/07 1,084,384
Arko Veal Co 10/13/07 1,900
Del Mar Provision Company 10/27/07 50
American Foods Group 11/24/07 95,927
Totinos/General Mills 11/1/07 3,300,000
Washington Beef 7/15/07 82,286
Interstate Meat 8/30/07 41,305
Fresh Brands 12/27/07 14,800

Total for 2007 - 33,756,142 pounds - 16,878 tons

2008 - so far

Mark's Quality Meats 1/5/08 13,150
Rochester Meats 1/12/08 188,000
Fairbank Reconstruction Co 5/12/08 22,481
Dutch's Meats 6/8/08 13,275
Palama Holdings 5/8/08 68,670
JSM Meat Holdings 5/16/08 undetermined
Kroger 6/25 - 7/3/08 undetermined
Nebraska Beef 6/30 - 7/3/08 5,300,000

Total for 2008 - 5,605,576 pounds - 2,803 tons

For those shocked by those numbers, please read "Tainted Food: How To Combat Food Poisoning in the United States? Mr. McCain, Mr. Obama, are You Paying Attention?"

Full post as published by Marler Blog on July 18, 2008 (boomark / email).