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Ground Beef May Be Source of Goshen Scout Camp E. coli Outbreak in Virginia

By Pritzker | Ruohonen

According to the Virginia Department of Health, ground beef may be the source of the E. coli outbreak associated with Goshen Scout Camp.  According to the Wall Street Journal, "the number of people who contracted the E. coli infection has grown to at least 18, with two boys in the most serious condition."  The serious condition is hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can cause renal failure, pancreatitis and central nervous system damage.

Hemolytic uremic syndrome is devastating.  Attorney Fred Pritzker, managing attorney for our E. coli cases, recently spent two days in intensive care with a family whose loved one was in a coma because of E. coli-related HUS.

The Wall Street Journal story provides additional information about the Goshen Scout Camp E. coli outbreak:

Christopher Novak, a Health Department epidemiologist, said about 30 employees were investigating the outbreak, interviewing Scout troops and taking stool samples from those with symptoms.

Novak said a possible source was food in foil-packaged meals that included ground beef and vegetables. The camp staple, typically cooked over a fire by Scouts, is not problematic if cooked long enough and at the right temperature, Novak said.

Those who were infected with E. coli 0157, a harmful strain of the bacterium, were a mix of Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts and two people from Maryland, officials said. The sick children ranged in age from 10 to 16, and about 10 required hospitalization, Novak said.

Six of those were treated and released, Novak said. Of the remaining four, two had hemolytic uremic syndrome, which occurs when the toxin produced by the bacterium enters the bloodstream, he said.

The "camp staple" referred to by the Wall Street Journal is "grubby stew," ground beef and vegetables wrapped in foil and cooked in a campfire.

If ground beef is the culprit, test should reveal whether this outbreak is connected to the outbreaks around the country linked to Nebraska Beef, Ltd. ground beef components.  We have filed a lawsuit against Nebraska Beef on behalf of an E. coli victim, and we are other families whose loved ones have been sickened by ground beef made with Nebraska Beef products.

Full post as published by Food Poisoning Law Blog on August 02, 2008 (boomark / email).