E. coli victim Derek Scott "Bubba" Kirby - Denman struggles to recover from HUS

Posted by E. coli Lawyer on July 26, 2010

According to Austin KWTX TV, Derek Scott “Bubba” Kirby, 3, of Goldthwaite, who’s been fighting for his young life for several weeks at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, will be transferred Monday or Tuesday to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston where he can receive more specialized care, his mother, Deven Denman, said.

Bubba contracted E. coli from the floor of a rodeo arena after he ended up with a mouthful of dirt when he was thrown from a sheep during a mutton-busting event and then developed serious complications that caused his kidneys to shut down and led to a stroke.

He’s one of the 5 to 10 percent of E. coli patients who develop a potentially life-threatening complication, hemolytic uremic syndrome, which develops when E. coli bacteria lodged in the digestive tract make toxins that enter the bloodstream and start to destroy red blood cells.

He’s unconscious and on dialysis and had a rough run last week as doctors attempted to wean him from the pain medication he’s been receiving, his mother said.

Denman said Monday doctors were starting over on the weaning process after deciding they decreased dosages too quickly.

She said she’s grateful for all of the “wonderful work that has been done for Bubba,” but said the Houston hospital has a nephrologist with state-of the-art equipment to help with the youngster’s kidneys as well as a pain management team to take over the process of weaning from medication.

She said he will also require physical therapy.

Goldthwaite residents have been holding carwashes and other benefits, selling T-shirts and praying for the youngster since learning of Bubba’s plight.

Word of the little boy’s fight has spread well beyond the town of 1,800 however, thanks to a Facebook page, Bubba’s Angels, which had more than 4,600 followers from around the country Monday.

USDA finalizes new standards for ground beef

Posted by Bill Marler on July 24, 2010

New and tougher standards have been implemented for all ground beef purchased for USDA’s numerous federal food and nutrition assistance programs, including the National School Lunch Program.

The new standards will apply to ground beef contracts awarded on or after July 1.

In addition to continuing a zero tolerance for E. coli O157:H7 and salmonella, the new standards tighten microbiological testing protocols and microbiological limits, while also increasing sampling frequency.

Also, any vendor classified by USDA as having a long-term poor safety record will be considered an ineligible vendor until a complete cause-and-effect analysis is completed.

Indiana Rush County Fair possibly linked to Kathleen Ragan HUS E. coli case

Posted by Bill Marler on July 13, 2010

 According to WISH news, at least two children from Rush County are critically ill after getting E. coli poisoning.

Kathleen Ragan, 4, is at the Peyton Manning Children's Hospital suffering from Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome. It's possible she contracted E. coli bacteria from animals at the Rush County Fair in late June. Kathleen's mother says she did use hand sanitizer as she petted animals there, but her symptoms of fatigue, diarrhea and bloody stools started the day after the fair ended.

However, the parent of at least one other Rush County child said that her boy is also suffering from HUS, but he wasn't at the fair.

For more information the risks of bacterial infections from petting zoos, see Fair Safety Dot Com.

E. coli O157:H7 - Tainted Spinach Recalled - Again

Posted by E. coli Attorney on July 08, 2010

Irwindale-based Ready Pac Food Inc. on Wednesday announced a voluntary recall of 702 cases of its baby spinach because of possible E. coli bacteria contamination.

The recalled six-ounce "Spinach Temptations" packages sold in California, Washington and Arizona have use-by dates of:

July 4 with Product Code I1707B, IR127121
July 8 with Product Code I2007B, IR130373

No illnesses related to the products have been reported.

The spinach could be contaminated by Escherichia coli O157:H7, according to ReadyPac, which is working with the Food and Drug Administration to investigate the problem detected in random testing.

Rocky Mountain Natural Meats Buffalo Tainted with E. coli O157:H7 promts FSIS Recall

Posted by Bill Marler on July 02, 2010

Rocky Mountain Natural Meats, a Henderson, Colo. establishment, is recalling approximately 66,000 pounds of ground and tenderized steak bison products.

FSIS became aware of the problem during the course of an on-going investigation into a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses in Colorado with illness onset dates between June 4, 2010 and June 9, 2010. Working in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the New York Department of Health, 5 case-patients have been identified in Colorado as well as 1 case-patient in New York with an indistinguishable PFGE pattern. FSIS determined that there is an association between the ground bison products and the cluster of illnesses in the state of Colorado. FSIS is continuing to work with the CDC, affected state public health partners, and the company on the investigation. Pack/Codes:

The following products are subject to recall:

· 16-ounce packages of “GREAT RANGE BRAND ALL NATURAL GROUND BISON.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 21, June 22 or June 24, 2010.

· 16-ounce packages of “NATURE’S RANCHER GROUND BUFFALO.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 22, 2010.

· 16-ounce packages of “THE BUFFALO GUYS ALL NATURAL GROUND BUFFALO 90% LEAN.” These products have a lot number of 0147.

· 12-ounce packages of “GREAT RANGE BRAND ALL NATURAL BISON STEAK MEDALLIONS.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 23 and June 24, 2010

· 12-ounce packages of “GREAT RANGE BRAND ALL NATURAL BISON SIRLOIN STEAKS.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 20, June 23 and June 24, 2010

· 15-pound boxes of “ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATURAL MEATS, INC. BISON 10 OZ SIRLOIN STEAK.” These products went to restaurants and bear a Julian Code of 0141.

The products subject to recall bear the establishment number “EST. 20247” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These products were produced between the dates of May 21, 2010 through May 27, 2010.

These products were distributed to retail establishments nationwide and food service distributors in Utah and Arizona. While the sell-by dates for these products have passed, FSIS and the establishment are aware that consumers may also freeze the product before use and there is concern that some product may still be frozen and in consumers’ freezers.

Sixteen People Likely Sickened from Raw Milk from Local Dairy

Posted by E. coli Lawyer on July 02, 2010

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - Boulder County - Since June 10, 16 people who reported drinking raw milk from Billy Goat Dairy in Longmont have become ill. Boulder County Public Health (BCPH) ordered the dairy to stop distribution of its raw milk products yesterday, June 29, 2010. Two children have been hospitalized, one has been released.

The Billy Goat Dairy operates a goat share program in which individuals buy a share of a goat and in return receive raw, unpasteurized milk. BCPH staff is contacting every household who participates in the goat share operation to determine if they became sick and to collect samples. Billy Goat Dairy is fully cooperating with the investigation.

“We strongly advise residents to avoid consuming any raw milk or milk products,” said Murielle Romine. “It can be extremely dangerous, particularly for young children and people with weakened immune systems.”

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) identified 45 outbreaks of foodborne illness that implicated raw milk or cheese made from raw milk between 1998 and May 2005. These outbreaks accounted for 1,007 illnesses, 104 hospitalizations and two deaths.

During pasteurization, the temperature of milk is raised to at least 161 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 15 seconds, and then rapidly cooled. In addition to helping extend milk’s shelf-life, many harmful bacteria are destroyed, including E.coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeria. Because of pasteurization, less than 1.5 percent of annual foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States involve dairy foods.

Of the people who reported becoming ill from consuming the milk products, lab tests have confirmed the presence of campylobacter and E. coli 0157. Both types of bacteria are found in the intestines of animals and can be passed in their feces to food, water, and milk products that haven't been pasteurized.

Symptoms of Campylobacter include fever, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting. Serious cases can lead to Guillain–Barré syndrome, permanent paralysis, and possibly death. Symptoms of E. coli include severe diarrhea (frequently bloody), abdominal cramping, and sometimes vomiting. Serious cases of E. coli can lead to Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) causing kidney failure and possibly death.

Health officials urge anyone who has become ill after consuming raw milk or milk products from Billy Goat Dairy to call the BCPH Communicable Disease Control program at 303.441.1460. If illness continues, residents should contact their healthcare provider.