Health investigators in Knoxville, Tennessee, are investigating an illness caused by toxic E. coli O157:H7 that has been traced back to tainted ground beef produced at Snapp’s Ferry Packing Company of Afton, Tennessee. The link between the illness and the hamburger was announced this week by the USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) in a Class I Recall news release. This federally issued “high health risk” recall pertains to 5-pound packages of “Ground Beef” from Snapp’s Ferry Packing Co. with a packaging date of Nov. 20, 2015.
More information about this health threat should be forthcoming by health officials. One question is whether the person who was stricken by the contaminated hamburger in the Knoxville area developed E. coli HUS, or Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome kidney failure, a foodborne illness that can cause severe pain, permanent injury and death. Another question is whether this confirmed E. coli O157:H7 case is part of a Knoxville restaurant E. coli outbreak.
According to FSIS, all of the recalled hamburger was distributed to restaurants in the Knoxville, Tenn., area. The product subject to recall bears establishment number “Est. 9085” inside the USDA mark of inspection, meaning it came from Snapp’s Ferry Packing Co. None of this product was sold at retail, FSIS announced.
Do Courts Consider Long-Term Effects of E. coli?
Yes. E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps 2–8 days after exposure to the organism. Some patients quickly develop kidney failure and this type of infection is called HUS. It can be lethal or cause life-long health complications, including paralysis, organ dysfunction later in life, heart disease, chronic high blood pressure, stroke and brain damage. HUS can occur among persons of any age but is most common in children under 5-years old and older adults. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output. Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.
Many E. coli patients don’t develop HUS. But medical studies have shown that even those cases can lead to long-lasting health consequences that can require long-term attention and care or increased risk for personal health damage. A good E. coli lawyer will take the long-term health risks of an E. coli infection into account to determine a fair but comprehensive result for the client.