E. coli, HUS, a Coma, and Recovery
A Mattoon High School senior from Mattoon, Illinois, who became ill with an E. coli infection last September shared his story with the Herald & Review.
Matt Roberts became ill with an E. coli infection last September - just before an E. coli outbreak was traced to El Rancherito restaurant in Effingham. His E. coli infection progressed to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and he was hospitalized for over a month. While hospitalized, Matt was placed in a medically-induced coma for ten days, and underwent dialysis and blood and plasma transfusions. Even after he was released from the hospital, Matt continued to receive plasma transfusions.
While Matt was ill, the Coles County Health Department worked to identify the source of his E. coli infection but has thus far been unable to determine the source of his illness. According to the Herald & Review:
Coles County Health Department officials confirmed in early October they did not suspect any area restaurants as the source of Matt's infection or the E. coli contracted by another unidentified Coles County resident, who recovered from the illness relatively quickly.Nor was Matt anywhere near the Effingham El Vaquero restaurant, to which seven E. coli cases were linked in late September.
And Matt was showing symptoms well before the Effingham outbreak.
A 20-year-old woman from Wisconsin was also hospitalized and in a drug-induced coma. Stephanie Smith became ill this fall after eating ground beef contaminated with E. coli and developed HUS.
the name of the restaraunt in Effingham is incorrectly identified above. The correct name is El Rancherito. Incidently, my son is the case that progressed into HUS from eating there.