E Coli Lawyer & Attorney : Marler Clark Law Firm : E. coli Blog

WAFF.com reported this morning that one of the victims of an E. coli outbreak traced back to Little Rosie's Mexican restaurant in Huntsville, Alabama, has died.  The victim, whose name was not released, became ill with an E. coli infection in July, and developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a complication of E. coli infection.

The woman was one of the first to develop the E. Coli bacteria in her bloodstream in July, and had spent the last several weeks in the hospital.

The family says the bacteria acted at least as a catalyst in their loved one's death. She passed away at 12:15 Wednesday morning.

The only common denominator among the cases health department officials could find was shredded lettuce served at Little Rosie's, a Mexican restaurant in Huntsville.

Health officials have not yet released information on whether they were able to identify a specific food served at Little Rosie's that was the source of the E. coli outbreak. 

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An article for the Huntsville Times gave an account of the homecoming of Samuel Coggin, a five-year-old boy who became ill with an E. coli O157:H7 infection and hemolytic uremic syndrome after eating at Little Rosie's restaurant in Huntsville.  Author Steve Doyle wrote:

It's a happy ending to what could have been a sad story. Samuel spent about three weeks on dialysis after the dangerous E. coli O157:H7 bacteria caused his kidneys to fail, a condition called hemolytic uremic syndrome.

The shy, soon-to-be kindergartner at Westminster Christian Academy lost about five pounds and hasn't fully regained his appetite. But his kidneys are nearly back to normal, and the stomach pain has disappeared, Samuel's mom, Rene' Coggin, said Tuesday.

"We're just glad to be home," she said as Samuel scurried around the living room in a black tyrannosaurus rex T-shirt.

Nineteen people became ill with E. coli infections after eating at Little  Rosie's Taqueria inn July.  Three people were hospitalized, including Samuel.  The other to people who developed HUS remain hospitalized.  One is in serious condition at Huntsville Hospital, and the other is hospitalized at Memorial Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina.

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The Huntsville Times reported today on an outlying case of E. coli that was investigated as potentially linked to the E. coli outbreak linked to lettuce consumed at Little Rosie's restaurant in Huntsville.  While that case was ultimately determined to be unrelated to the Little Rosie's E. coli outbreak, the Times updated its report on three victims of the outbreak who were hospitalized.  The three remain hospitalized with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).  A recap on the outbreak from today's article:

Health officials say the Huntsville outbreak most likely was caused by contaminated lettuce served at Little Rosie's between June 27 and June 30. Eighteen of the 19 known victims ate at the popular Mexican restaurant on Whitesburg Drive on those dates; the other infected person did not eat at Little Rosie's and caught the bacteria another way.

Three Little Rosie's customers have been in the hospital since about July 4 undergoing dialysis for kidney damage.

Treatment for HUS is minimal, with doctors providing mostly supportive care for individuals who develop the syndrome.  Dialysis and plasmapheresis are two treatments physicians can use to help victims battle HUS.  From the About-HUS website:

There is no known therapy to halt the progression of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome. The active stage of the disease usually lasts one to two weeks, during which a variety of complications are possible. HUS is a frightening illness that even in the best American medical facilities has a mortality rate of about 5%. By comparison, the mortality rate in the developing world is much higher. About 50% of patients require dialysis due to kidney failure, 25% develop pancreatitis, 25% experience seizures, and 5% suffer from diabetes mellitus. The majority of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome patients requires transfusion of blood products and develops complications common to the critically ill. The illness is a living nightmare for the patients and families, and leaves a painful memory that lingers long after the acute illness had passed.

Among survivors of HUS, about five percent will eventually develop end stage kidney disease, with the resultant need for dialysis or transplantation, and another five to ten percent experience neurological or pancreatic problems which significantly impair quality of life. Since the longest available follow-up studies of HUS are about twenty (20) years, an accurate lifetime prognosis is not available, and as such, medical follow-up is indicated for even the mildest affected cases.

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In what is now the largest E. coli outbreak in Alabama in 20 years, 18 people who ate at Little Rosie's restaurant in Huntsville, Alabama, have been confirmed as suffering from E. coli O157:H7 infections, and testing is being conducted to determine whether there are additional victims of the outbreak.  In an article for the Huntsville Times, Dr. Debra Williams, assistant director of the Huntsville-Madison County Health Department, commented on the outbreak:

Williams said she expects more confirmed cases before it is over. The bacteria usually do not show up right away in stool samples, and some restaurant customers who had E. coli symptoms - diarrhea and painful abdominal cramps - were just tested this week.

The newest confirmed victims are a 65-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman. Neither got sick enough to need hospital care, Williams said.

Although state and county health officials point to shredded lettuce as the most likely culprit, Bill Marler, a Seattle lawyer who specializes in foodborne illness cases, said he suspects that the outbreak ultimately will be tied to ground beef.

E. coli contamination has led to the recall of several million pounds of meat from different distributors this spring and summer.

The Huntsville Times also reported that two people remain hospitalized with hemolytic uremic syndrome, and a third hospitalized E. coli victim's status was not available.  Hemolytic uremic syndrome is a frightening illness that even in the best American medical facilities has a mortality rate of about 5%. About 50% of patients require dialysis due to kidney failure, 25% experience seizures, and 5% suffer from diabetes mellitus. Among survivors of HUS, about five percent will eventually develop end stage kidney disease, with the resultant need for dialysis or transplantation, and another five to ten percent experience neurological or pancreatic problems which significantly impair quality of life.

Marler Clark has represented thousands of victims of E. coli and other foodborne illness outbreaks, including hundreds who developed HUS.  The firm currently represents dozens of victims of last year's E. coli outbreak traced to bagged spinach, as well as those victims of E. coli outbreaks traced to lettuce served at Taco Bell and Taco John's locations.  Marler Clark has filed recent E. coli lawsuits against the Fresno Meat Market and PM Beef Holdings, Lunds, and Byerly's.

More from the Huntsville Times article:

It is "highly likely" that some Little Rosie's customers who got sick will sue the restaurant, Marler said. There have been substantial jury awards in past E. coli outbreaks. In 1993, Marler represented a 9-year-old girl whose kidneys failed after she ate a bacteria-tainted burger from a Jack in the Box in Seattle. Jurors ordered the restaurant chain to pay $15.6 million in damages, he said.

Marler said he has seen restaurants in these situations offer to pay customers' hospital bills.

"These (kidney failure) victims are literally going to have hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills," he said. For restaurant owners, "saying you're sorry and paying the medical bills has been a pretty effective tool for getting the public on your side."

Marler comments on foodborne illness outbreaks and litigation at his blog.

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An E. coli outbreak in Huntsville, Alabama, that has sickened numerous customers of Little Rosie's and has sent at least three people to the hospital with hemolytic uremic syndrome, was caused by contaminated lettuce, according to the Madison County Health Department.  At this point, health officials have not determined when the lettuce became contaminated - if it was before or after it entered the restaurant, but they are looking into the possibility that the lettuce was cross-contaminated before it was served.

Huntsville Times reporter Steve Doyle reported on the Huntsville E. coli outbreak today:

Five-year-old Samuel Coggin of Meridianville started dialysis Wednesday morning at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in Nashville. Two adults whose names have not been released are also hospitalized with kidney problems: a 48-year-old woman in critical condition at Huntsville Hospital and a 70-year-old woman undergoing dialysis in Asheville, N.C.

Dr. Debra Williams, the Huntsville-Madison County Health Department's assistant director, said 16 people who ate at Little Rosie's Taqueria late last month have now tested positive for E. coli O157:H7 poisoning. A 17th E. coli victim did not eat at the Whitesburg Drive restaurant and was sickened by a different source, she said.

Three more restaurant customers who were hospitalized with symptoms of E. coli exposure have tested negative, Williams said.

In other E. coli news, at least 70 inmates at a correctional facility in Colorado have become ill with E. coli.  According to an article in the Denver Post:

On Friday, a few inmates complained of abdominal cramping, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and bloody stools. The number grew over the weekend, with more cases identified Tuesday during the ongoing investigation.

Nine inmates have been sent to the hospital for treatment, with one remaining hospitalized. Thirty-seven are still sick.

"We want an answer" on the bacteria's source, said Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Jacki Kelley. "We don't want this to happen again."

Those who are sick have been separated from other inmates and are being given fluids and medications.

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