Health Law

95 People Stricken by E. coli-tainted Cookies and Meat - Nestle and JBS Swift - Time to Take Care of Your Customers

By Marler Clark

In the last several weeks Nestle and JBS Swift customers have been hospitalized (some still are) with medical bills in the millions of dollars. Those that developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), face a life-time of kidney and bowel complications that will cost families tens of millions of dollars. People have been out of work for weeks – some have lost jobs. And, what have we heard from two multi-billion foreign corporations (Nestle - Swiss and JBS - Brazilian)? Nothing. Both companies have been linked by Local, State and Federal authorities to the illnesses, yet the companies remain silent. Nestle, JB Swift, time to step up and take care of your customers.

Nestle Cookie Dough E. coli Outbreak

72 persons infected with a strain of E. coli O157:H7 with a particular DNA fingerprint have been reported from 30 states. Of these, 51 have been confirmed by an advanced DNA test as having the outbreak strain; these confirmatory test results are pending on the others. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Arizona (2), California (3), Colorado (6), Connecticut (1), Delaware (1), Georgia (1), Iowa (2), Illinois (5), Kentucky (2), Massachusetts (4), Maryland (2), Maine (3), Minnesota (6), Missouri (1), Montana (1), North Carolina (2), New Hampshire (2), New Jersey (1), Nevada (2), New York (1), Ohio (3), Oklahoma (1), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (1), Texas (3), Utah (4), Virginia (2), Washington (6), and Wisconsin (1). Ill persons range in age from 2 to 65 years; however, 65% are less than 19 years old; 71% are female. Thirty-four persons have been hospitalized, 10 developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

JBS Swift Beef E. coli Outbreak

23 persons infected with a strain of E. coli O157:H7 with a particular "DNA fingerprint" have been reported from 9 states. Of these, 17 have been confirmed by an advanced DNA test as having the outbreak strain; confirmatory tests are pending on others. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: California (4), Maine (1), Michigan (6), Minnesota (1), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (2), New Mexico (1), New York (1) and Wisconsin (6). Among 17 ill persons for whom hospitalization status is known, 12 (70%) were hospitalized. Two patients developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

Full post as published by Food Poison Blog on July 02, 2009 (boomark / email).