As a result of eating food at a picnic at Neff’s Lawn Care in Germantown, at least 75 individuals became ill with E. coli O157:H7 from as yet an unknown vector. Of those, 14 were hospitalized. Marler Clark has been retained by three of those families to investigate the cause of the outbreak.

Public Health – Dayton & Montgomery County is continuing an investigation into the cause of the foodborne outbreak. Over 300 people may have attended an annual customer appreciation picnic held by Neff’s Lawn Care, 9400 Ekhart Road, on July 3. Of the ill, 18 have been confirmed as being infected by E. coli O157. A 73-year old male died on July 24, and a 14-year old male who was in serious condition has been released from the hospital. A 4-year old girl, experiencing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), remains hospitalized in serious condition.

Over the last decade there have been these Ohio-related E. coli cases:

ConAgra Ground Beef E. coli Outbreak Lawsuits – Nationwide (2002)

Cuyahoga County E. coli outbreak – Ohio (2009)

Dole Spinach E. coli Outbreak Lawsuits – Nationwide (2006)

Freshway Lettuce E. coli Outbreak Lawsuits – Multistate (2010)

JBS Swift E. coli Outbreak Lawsuits – Nationwide (2009)

Jimmy John’s Clover Sprouts E. coli O26 Outbreak Lawsuits – Multistate (2012)

KFC E. coli Outbreak Lawsuit – Ohio (1999)

Nebraska Beef E. coli Outbreak – Nationwide (2008)

Nestle Toll House Cookie Dough E. coli Outbreak Lawsuits – Nationwide (2009)

Tyson Fresh Meats E. coli Lawsuit – Ohio (2011)

Valley Meats E. coli Outbreak Lawsuits – Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania (2009)

For more information on E. coli, see www.about-ecoli.com and for hemolytic uremic syndrome, see www.about-hus.com.