The Center for Disease Control (CDC) just released updated Nestle Toll House cookie dough E. coli O157: H7 outbreak numbers: There are now 70 confirmed cases in 30 states, with 25 persons being hospitalized and 7 experiencing complications from hemolytic uremic syndrome.
The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Arizona (2), California (3), Colorado (5), Connecticut (1), Delaware (1), Georgia (1), Hawaii (1), Iowa (2), Illinois (5), Kentucky (3), Massachusetts (4), Maryland (2), Maine (3), Minnesota (6), Missouri (2), Montana (1), North Carolina (2), New Hampshire (2), New Jersey (1), Nevada (2), Ohio (3), Oklahoma (1), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (1), Texas (3), Utah (2), Virginia (2), Washington (5), and Wisconsin (1). Ill persons range in age from 2 to 65 years; however, 66% are less than 19 years old; 75% are female. No deaths have been reported.
E. coli O157:H7 is usually linked to hamburger or leafy green products – it has never been linked to raw cookie dough. The CDC, FDA, and state health departments are continuing to investigate how E. coli O157:H7 infiltrated the cookie dough manufacturing process.
Most people infected with E. coli O157:H7 develop diarrhea (often bloody) and abdominal cramps 2-8 days (average of 3-4 days) after swallowing the organism, but some illnesses last longer and are more severe. Infection is usually diagnosed by culture of a stool sample. Most people recover within a week, but some develop a severe infection. A type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) can begin as the diarrhea is improving; this can occur in people of any age but is most common in children under 5 years old and the elderly.
Nestle has recalled all of the potentially contaminated cookie dough.
The E. coli lawyers at Simon & Luke have already been contacted by several families of this outbreak and are currently investigating cases in numerous states. If you or a loved one has tested positive for E. coli after consuming Nestle cookie dough, call us toll free at 1-888-335-4901 for a free consultation on your legal rights.
