An E. coli outbreak in Philadelphia has sickened 14 people some of whom ate at restaurants. All of the cases have been reported since August 30, 2019 and involve patients who range in age from 7 to 90 years old.
An investigation of the outbreak is still underway and health officials have not yet released the names of the food items or restaurants that may be involved. Recent E. coli outbreaks have been linked to ground beef and romaine lettuce.
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Colorized rendering of E. coli bacteria.
E. coli is a bacteria that lives in the intestines of animals and is transmitted via the fecal-oral route. This means that illness occurs when food contaminated with fecal matter is ingested. Contamination can occur during the growing or harvest of fruits and vegetables, the slaughter of animals or at any time when an infected food worker does not wash hands properly after using the bathroom.
The E. coli serotype associated with this outbreak is among a group of this bacteria that produces Shiga toxins which cause severe illness including a form of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) which can be fatal. Young children are most at risk of developing HUS.
For more than 30 years, the award-winning E. coli lawyers at Pritzker Hageman have been representing people who have been sickened by contaminated food. We want to help you, too. For a free consultation, call us toll-free at 1-888-377-8900, text us at 1-612-261-08I or complete the form below. There is never any fee until we win compensation for you.