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Hamburger Caused Lincoln School E coli Outbreak

By PritzkerLaw

The Lincoln Middle School E. coli outbreak at Camp Bournedale in Plymouth, Massachusetts, was caused by contaminated ground beef that was not cooked properly for a meal of hamburgers.

That's what camp owner and director Arnie Gerson told news reporter Rich Harbert after state and federal health officials finished their investigation of what food sickened a group of sixth graders who were on a three-day visit from Lincoln, Rhode Island, earlier this month.

The Rhode Island Health Department said 15 of the campers became sick with diarrhea, two of whom had confirmed infections of E. coli O157:H7, a bacterium that emits a dangerous toxin inside humans when ingested. In more than 5 percent of cases, there is a complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, a life-threatening condition that is the leading cause of kidney failure in children.

Gerson said the E. coli raw hamburger used to make the patties has been scoured from the camp and the kitchen has been cleared for reopening. He says he will never again make hamburgers for camp attendees from raw ground beef. If burgers are ever served again at Bournedale, they will be pre-cooked, he told the reporter. Ground beef is a leading cause of E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks. It is an organism that lives in the intestines and feces of cattle without harming those animals. Contaminated ground beef is meat that was contaminated by  feces or guts. The microbes can be killed if all parts of the adulterated meat are cooked to 160 degrees.

National food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker calls on Camp Bournedale to immediately pay medical expenses, lost wages for parents and other expenses incurred by families who had a child sickened in the outbreak. The owner should also refund all fees paid by the group and issue a formal apology for serving poisoned, undercooked meat.

This camp has been in business for 73 years and serves up to 300 individuals at a time. The outbreak was preventable and should have never happened.

Pritzker Olsen Attorneys is accepting cases from the Bournedale E. coli outbreak. The firm currently represents E. coli HUS victims and New Hampshire families whose children were poisoned in similar fashion with Salmonella at Stone Environmental Camp.

To reach an E. coli lawyer at Pritzker Olsen, contact us at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). We will provide you with a free case consultation. If you prefer to contact us online, complete our contact and information form.

Full post as published by Food Poisoning Law Blog on October 24, 2009 (boomark / email).