Michigan Woman Files Lawsuit Against Plant Linked To E.coli Contamination

A massive ground beef recall earlier this month has been linked to 11 illnesses in four states, and now one lawsuit against the packing plant where the possible E.coli contamination occurred.

A Kalamazoo, MI, college student filed suit [PDF] against Wolverine Packing Co. seeking $25,000 in damages after being hospitalized with an E.coli infection linked to the recent recall of 1.8 million pounds of ground beef, Boston.com reports.

On May 19, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Safety Inspection Service announced the recall of meat packaged at the Detroit plant and shipped for restaurant use in Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio. Inspectors found a link between the ground beef products and an illness cluster. It was determined that the meat may be contaminated with E.coli O157:H7, a potentially deadly bacteria.

According to the complaint, the woman allegedly became sick after eating beef meals at two restaurants in late April.

The woman reports that she felt ill upon waking on April 23. After her symptoms became progressively worse she was rushed to the emergency room and eventually diagnosed as suffering from an E.coli O157:H7 infection.

She was admitted to the hospital for six days and treated for pain, dehydration and anemia as a result of blood loss from the illness.

While the woman was released and returned to her home, she claims to still suffer from on-going after effects of the illness such as general weakness and gastrointestinal discomfort, the complaint states.

The full list [PDF] of recalled products include the establishment number “EST. 2574B” and the production code “Packing Nos: MM DD 14″ between “03 31 14″ and “04 18 14″.

Michigan Woman Sues Beef Packing Firm Over E. coli [Boston.com]

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