Personal Injury Law

Salmonella Typhimurium in King Nut Peanut Butter Linked to 410 Ill in 43 States - Three Deaths

By Bill Marler, Esq.

The CDC reports that 410 persons infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Typhimurium have been reported from 43 states. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (1), Arizona (8), Arkansas (3), California (55), Colorado (9), Connecticut (6), Georgia (5), Hawaii (1), Idaho (10), Illinois (5), Indiana (4), Iowa (1), Kansas (2), Kentucky (3), Maine (4), Maryland (7), Massachusetts (40), Michigan (20), Minnesota (30), Missouri (8), Mississippi (1), Nebraska (1), New Hampshire (10), New Jersey (13), New York (12), Nevada (6), North Carolina (1), North Dakota (10), Ohio (53), Oklahoma (2), Oregon (5), Pennsylvania (12), Rhode Island (4), South Dakota (2), Tennessee (9), Texas (5), Utah (3), Vermont (4), Virginia (17), Washington (11), West Virginia (2), Wisconsin (3), and Wyoming (2). Among the 388 persons with dates available, illnesses began between September 3 and December 31, 2008, with most illnesses beginning after October 1, 2008. Patients range in age from <1 to 98 years; 48% are female. Among persons with available information, 18% were hospitalized and the infection may have contributed to three deaths.

So, CDC, FDA, King Nut and Peanut Corporation of America, what say you?  How are you doing on my To Do List?

1.     Make sure ALL product is promptly recalled;

2.     Do not destroy any documents;

3.     The companies should pay the medical bills and all related expenses of the innocent victims and their families;

4.     The companies should pay the cost of all related Health Department, CDC and FDA investigations;

5.     Provide all bacterial and viral testing of all recalled product and any other tested product (before and after recall);

6.     Release all inspection reports on the plants by any Governmental Entity or Third-party Auditor;

7.     Release all Salmonella safety precautions taken by either King Nut or Peanut Corporation of America - especially after the 2007 Salmonella Peanut Butter Outbreak;

8.     Provide the public with the Epidemiological investigation (with names redacted), so it is clear who knew what and when about the likely source of the outbreak; and,

9.     Show the public what is being done to prevent the next outbreak.

I'll check back in the morning.

Full post as published by Marler Blog on January 12, 2009 (boomark / email).