Our law firm, which filed a lawsuit against The SoyNut Butter Company for a child with E. coli, is investigating Montessori of Alameda school E. coli outbreak in Portland, Oregon linked to I.M. Healthy SoyNut Butter outbreak. For information about a lawsuit: “Can I Sue a School for E. coli Food Poisoning?”
UPDATE: seven people are now sick in this outbreak at the school.
Some of the children sickened in the Montessori of Alameda school outbreak have the same strain of E. coli O157:H7 that caused the multistate I.M. Healthy SoyNut Butter outbreak, according to the Multnomah County Health Department. The cases are a genetic match.
Some of the patients have confirmed E. coli O157:H7 infections. Two other patients have Shiga toxin-producing E. coli illnesses (STEC). Officials are waiting for further test results. All of the patients have E. coli infections. There was no further word on the child who was hospitalized last week.
Officials Investigate
The Multnomah County Health Department has been investigating this outbreak since March 7, 2017. Dr. Jennifer Vines, Multnomah County Deputy Health Officer said, “We are working closely with families, staff, and school administrators to stop the spread of this infection and understand how this outbreak happened.”
All I.M. Healthy SoyNut Butter and I.M. Healthy granola products have been recalled in connection with this nationwide outbreak. The first recall, issued on March 4, 2017, involved some SoyNut Butters. That recall was expanded on March 7, 2017 to include all types of SoyNut Butter and granola from the company. The CDC has linked those products to the outbreak through epidemiologic evidence and DNA testing. In connection with this, there has also been a recall of Dixie Diner’s Club Carb Not Beanit Butter,
The notice from the County says that the bacteria that caused these illnesses, E. coli O157:H7, is “the most severe type of Shiga-toxin E. coli.” The organism makes a compound, Shiga toxins, that causes bloody diarrhea and can damage blood vessels throughout the body.
Government officials are asking that any child who is sick with vomiting or diarrhea be kept home from school. E. coli O157:H7 infections can be passed person-to-person, since the bacteria is shed in feces. If your child has been sick, especially if they attended this school or if they have eaten any I.M. Healthy SoyNut Butter products, they should be seen by a doctor. E. coli infections can be life-threatening.
E. coli – HUS
An E. coli infection is bad enough and can cause serious pain, suffering, and medical bills. But if an E. coli infection is improperly treated with antibiotics, or if the patient is under the age of five, a complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) can develop. This syndrome can cause HUS kidney failure, strokes, seizures, and death. The Shiga toxins produced by the E. coli bacteria kill red blood cells throughout the body. Those dead cells clog the tiny vessels in the kidneys and they fail.
Patients with HUS can suffer permanent damage from this condition. They may face years of dialysis, or may even require a kidney transplant.
Attorney Fred Pritzker, who has represented many clients sickened by this pathogenic bacteria, said, “no one should get sick just because they ate a seemingly innocent product at school or at home. Corporations have a responsibility to sell products that are not contaminated with enough bacteria to make someone sick.”
Can I Sue a Montessori School for an E. coli Infection?
Yes, you can sue a Montessori school for E. coli poisoning, if your case can be tied to a food the school served or through any negligence. Your child may have suffered, and you may have lost income because you had to care for him or her. Some children have a permanent disability after this type of infection.
Our E. coli attorneys at Pritzker Hageman are among a select few in the country with the expertise and experience to litigate these complicated cases. Fred Pritzker and his Bad Bug Law Team recently won a record-breaking $7.55 million lawsuit on behalf of a child sickened with E. coli – HUS. To get in touch with Fred, fill out our free consultation form online, or call 1-888-377-8900. Someone from our law firm will be in touch soon.
