Three people in Minnesota are part of the romaine lettuce E. coli outbreak that has sickened 102 people in 23 states. At least one of Minnesota patients has developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) a form of kidney failure that is a complication of some E. coli infections.
Contact the Pritzker Hageman E. coli Team
Phone: 1-888-377-8900 | Text: 1-612-261-0856
HUS, a life-threatening complication of E. coli
The outbreak, which has been linked to romaine grown in Salinas, CA, has hospitalized 58 people, ten of whom have HUS which can be fatal.
HUS occurs when small blood vessels in the kidneys become swollen or damaged and clots that form clog the filtering system of the kidneys. In addition to kidney failure, HUS can cause seizures, stroke, coma and death.
Between 5 percent and 10 percent of E. coli patients develop HUS. Treatment requires hospitalization and includes dialysis, blood transfusions and plasma therapy.
Symptoms of an E. coli infection, which include abdominal cramps and diarrhea that can be bloody, usually develop within two to five days of exposure and last about a week. HUS symptoms appear after that, usually about seven days after symptoms of an E. coli infection first appear. Anyone with HUS symptoms should seek immediate medical care.
These symptoms include:
- Bloody diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Pale skin
- Unexplained weakness
- Decreased urination
- Unexplained bruises or bleeding
The E. coli lawyers at Pritzker Hageman represent clients nationwide who have been sickened by contaminated food. Their successful track record includes multiple multi-million-dollar awards for E. coli HUS clients, including a $7.5 million verdict which is believed to be the largest such verdict in U.S. history. Our E. coli Team is representing multiple clients sickened in this outbreak including a teenager who developed HUS.
If you would like to request a free consultation with our E. coli Team, call us at 1-888-377-8900, text us at 612-261-0856 or, fill out the form below.
Romaine E. coli Outbreak Includes 23 States
There are 23 states reporting illnesses in this outbreak. The total from each state is as follows: Arizona (3), California (4), Colorado (6), Florida (1), Idaho (3), Illinois (1), Iowa (1), Maryland (4), Michigan (1), Minnesota (3), Montana (1), Nebraska (1), New Jersey (7), New Mexico (2), North Carolina (1), Ohio (12), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (8), South Dakota (1), Texas (4), Virginia (4), Washington (2), and Wisconsin (31).
The people sickened in this outbreak range in age from less than 1 year to 89 years old. They have told health officials that their symptoms began on dates ranging from September 24, 2019 to November 18, 2019.
Outbreak investigators say the romaine lettuce responsible for this outbreak was grown in Salinas, CA and are warning consumers not to eat romaine lettuce grown in that area. They have gathering samples from three farms in that area and are awaiting test results that may provide more information about the source of this outbreak.
One recall has already been issued. Missa Bay issued a recall for pre-packaged romaine salads containing meat and chicken after illnesses in Maryland were linked to Ready Pac Bistro Bowl Caesar Chicken Salads sold at Sam’s Club stores. And the outbreak strain was found in an unopened package of that product.