Ingham County lawsuit follows outbreak that sickened 36 in Michigan. ...

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Ingham County lawsuit follows outbreak that sickened 36 inMichigan.
MSU student sues Detroit lettuce supplier in E. coli case

A Michigan State University student on Thursday filed a lawsuitagainst a Detroit produce supplier for a recent lettuce-borne E.coli bacteria outbreak that sickened more than 40 people in fivestates, including 36 in Michigan. "It's an accident, so I'm notmad, but I'm annoyed I got sick. It just shouldn't happen," saidSamantha Steffen, 19, a premed student from Lake Villa, Ill.

Steffen's lawsuit was filed in Ingham County Circuit Court againstAunt Mid's Produce Co., a supplier of cut and chopped iceberglettuce to restaurants and institutional food preparers. Shipmentsfrom Aunt Mid's have been identified as the source of some of theillness in the outbreak caused by E. coli strain O157:H7.
Thursday, the Michigan Department of Agriculture said California isthe source of the tainted iceberg lettuce suspected to havesickened 36 in Michigan.

"Illness dates, ship dates and delivery dates narrow the origin toCalifornia," said Jennifer Holton, a spokeswoman for the MichiganDepartment of Agriculture. The California Department of PublicHealth is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration andthe state of Michigan, said Ken August, a spokesman with theCalifornia agency. He said the source of the contamination wasstill unknown.

Steffen got sick after eating salad at a university cafeteria earlylast month. "I missed class and I haven't been allowed to go backto my job in food service because I still get nauseated," Steffenssaid. "The hospital bills are pretty expensive, $1,600 so far, andI still don't feel good." Aunt Mid's halted shipments in earlySeptember. Two more cases of 0157:H7 infections were reported tostate officials Thursday.

"Aunt Mid's remains the only source linked to some of the cases.The cause of others remains unidentified so far," said MichiganDepartment of Community Health spokesman James McCurtis.Representatives of Aunt Mid's couldn't be reached for comment.


Source: detnews.com


Publication date: 10/10/2008