15 Rhode Island Children Ill
SEATTLE--(Business Wire)--
The Massachusetts camp where food made Rhode Island middle school children ill
has said that officials linked the illnesses to hamburger, but no recall has yet
been issued for the tainted meat. Foodborne illness expert and attorney Bill
Marler today called upon the USDA and Massachusetts Department of Agriculture to
share their findings with consumers and ensure that all the contaminated meat is
removed from the food supply.
"As the parents of these sick children know, E. coli O157:H7 is a very dangerous
pathogen," said Marler. Unfortunately, it is not surprising that hamburger meat
is the vehicle. What is surprising is that public health officials have not
taken the crucial next step of issuing a recall so that other businesses or
consumers who may have purchased this meat are aware of the severe health
hazard."
Students from Lincoln Middle School in Rhode Island attended Camp Bournedale in
nearby Plymouth, MA from October 13-16. Fifteen of the sixth-grade students have
reported diarrheal illness. Two of the ill were confirmed to have contracted E.
coli O157:H7 and have been hospitalized.
"In 2006, it seemed that the meat industry had gotten a handle on E. coli,"
continued Marler. "But with 41 million pounds recalled since then-and over a
half-million pounds just this year-that is clearly not the case."
Many benign strains of E. coli (Escherichia coli) live in the intestinal tracts
of humans and other mammals. Infection with one of the toxic strains, most
notably E. coli O157:H7,can cause serious illness, organ failure, and even
death. E. coli is often contracted by consuming food or beverage that has been
contaminated by animal (especially cattle) manure. The majority of foodborne E.
coli outbreaks has been traced to ground beef; however leafy vegetables,
sprouts, unpasteurized dairy or juice products or even water can become tainted
with the pathogen.
ABOUT MARLER CLARK: Marler Clark has represented victims of every major food
borne illness outbreak since 1993. The firm`s attorneys have litigated
high-profile food poisoning cases against such companies as ConAgra, Wendy`s,
Chili`s, Chi-Chi`s, and Jack in the Box, securing over $500,000,000 for their
clients. Marler Clark currently represents thousands of victims of outbreaks
traced to ground beef, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, peanut butter, and spinach,
as well as other foods. For further information contact Mary Siceloff at
msiceloff@marlerclark.com or (206) 719-4705, or visit www.MarlerClark.com and
www.marlerblog.com.
Consumer Resource: Downloadable Family Health Guide on E. coli (PDF)
Marler Clark
Mary Siceloff, 206-719-4705
msiceloff@marlerclark.com
Copyright Business Wire 2009
