Home -> Law Blog Directory -> New Law Blogs Blogs -> Food Poisoning Law Blog

OR PHONE (866) 635-1838 for Bankruptcy Help, (866) 635-6190 for Divorce,
(866) 635-2689 for Personal Injury or (866) 635-9402 for Criminal Defense

Find a Local Lawyer

Bankruptcy (866) 635-1838
Divorce (866) 635-6190
Personal Injury (866) 635-2689
Criminal Defense (866) 635-9402

New Law Blogs

: Food Poisoning Law Blog

E. coli in Cantaloupe: It Has Happened Before

By PritzkerLaw

ADVERTISEMENTS

If current claims being investigated by national food safety law firm Prtizker Olsen Attorneys are confirmed, it won't be the first time a multi-state outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 is associated with cantaloupe.

The cantalope's rough skin makes a natural breeding ground for foodborne pathogens. It also makes those organisms hard to wash off, which increases the risk of food poisoning. When you cut through the rind of the melon, you can inadvertently contaminate the fruit inside.

Cantaloupe can become contaminated in the field by soil, manure-based compost, contaminated water or the fecal matter of wild animals.

In the summer of 2006, contaminated cantaloupe was found to be the cause of an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak at Little Seeds Early Childhood Center in Yellowstone City, Montana.

And in March 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public health warning about Honduran cantaloupe that was linked to an outbreak of Salmonella in the U.S. and Canada. Earlier U.S. outbreaks of Salmonella were linked or associated with cantaloupe in 1990, 1991, 2000, 2001 and 2002.

If you or someone you know has been recently diagnosed with an E. coli O157:H7 infection that could have come from contaminated cantaloupe, please call Pritzker Olsen as soon as possible at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free.) Or write to us online for a free case consultation.

E. coli 0157:H7 is a serious health threat, especially to young children, the elderly and others with weakened immune systems. Especially among those populations, infection can lead to hospitalization and kidney malfunction. And patients who are given antibiotics for an E. coli infection are at greater risk of developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of E. coli deaths.

Other health risks of E. coli O157:H7 poisoning include abnormal kidney function, blindness, Hemorrhagic Colitis, high blood pressure, paralysis, seizures and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, a disease in adults that carries the risk of stroke, seizures and central nervous system deterioration.

Pritzker Olsen has years of experience representing E. coli victims and their families. The firm has recovered millions of dollars for its food poisoning clients and is dedicated to educating the public about food safety issues, while lobbying for more effective legislation to protect the U.S. food supply from deadly pathogens. It is one of the few law firms in the country that practices extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation.

Full post as published by Food Poisoning Law Blog on May 16, 2009 (boomark / email).