An 8-year-old girl from Tooele County, UT, is hospitalized for a severe Salmonella infection. She is one of 671 people now affected by the tainted cucumbers distributed by Andrew & Williamson.

As of October 5, 2015, Marler Clark LLP, The Food Safety Law Firm, has filed its eleventh lawsuit against San Diego-based cucumber distributor, Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce Inc. William D. Marler, managing partner at Marler Clark, is representing Utah residents, Rebecca and Christopher Busico, on behalf of their 8-year-old daughter, I.B. after being hospitalized due to eating Salmonella-tainted cucumbers that were manufactured and distributed by Andrew & Williamson.

On August 16, 2015, I.B., the 8-year-old daughter of Tooele County residents, Rebecca and Christopher Busico, consumed the contaminated cucumbers purchased from a grocery store in Utah. By August 21, I.B. began to suffer from a headache, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. The next day, I.B. developed a fever, and later that evening, I.B began vomiting profusely and suffered from repeated bouts of diarrhea.

On August 23, Rebecca took her daughter to an urgent care clinic for medical attention, where she was treated and released on the same day. However, I.B.’s symptoms continued relentlessly over the next few days, and on August 25, I.B.’s diarrhea became bloody. The next day, I.B.’s pediatrician sent her to the emergency room at Mountain West Medical Center. While there, I.B. received various medications and submitted a stool sample which ultimately tested positive for Salmonella Poona, the same strain linked to Andrew & Williamson’s cucumbers. She was transferred to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City at approximately 2am on August 27. There, she continued to suffer from fevers, severe headaches, and bloody diarrhea.

I.B. remained hospitalized until August 28, until her diarrhea had slowed significantly. The following day, I.B. was seen by her pediatrician again, who advised her parents to monitor her closely. The pediatrician also ordered urine testing, which ultimately showed that I.B. had also developed a urinary tract infection (UTI) as a result of her foodborne illness.

I.B. continued to suffer from her UTI and fevers for several days. Unfortunately, she missed the first week of school, and as a result, had to be placed in lower level courses to begin the year.

Bill Marler, Salmonella expert and food safety attorney representing I.B., offers support for those affected by foodborne illnesses. “Children’s immune systems are more susceptible to these bacteria, so it’s pretty common that kids will suffer the worst symptoms. And sadly, it sometimes leaves parents feeling guilty. Of course, it’s not the parents’ fault – they’re usually just trying to give their child healthy, nutritious food.”

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are conducting an ongoing investigation into the multi-state Salmonella Poona outbreak. They have traced the contaminated cucumbers back to Rancho Don Juanito, a mega-farm in Mexico, which were manufactured and distributed by Andrew & Williamson.

As of September 29, 2015, a total of 671 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Poona have been reported from 34 states. The number of ill people reported from each state is as follows: Alabama (1), Alaska (13), Arizona (112), Arkansas (9), California (164), Colorado (17), Hawaii (1), Idaho (22), Illinois (8), Indiana (2), Iowa (5), Kansas (2), Kentucky (1), Louisiana (5), Minnesota (34), Missouri (10), Montana (14), Nebraska (5), Nevada (13), New Mexico (30), New York (5), North Dakota (3), Ohio (2), Oklahoma (12), Oregon (19), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (9), South Dakota (1), Texas (33), Utah (51), Virginia (1), Washington (21), Wisconsin (38), and Wyoming (6).

Among 459 people with available information, 131 (29%) report being hospitalized. Three deaths have been reported from Arizona (1), California (1) and Texas (1). This is the eleventh lawsuit Mr. Marler has filed against Andrew & Williamson, with victims ranging from 8-months-old to the elderly.

Salmonella is the second most common foodborne illness in the United States. Approximately 1.4 million cases of Salmonella occur each year with 95% of those caused by tainted food. The acute symptoms of Salmonella include the sudden onset of nausea, abdominal cramping, and bloody diarrhea and mucous over a period of days. While there is no cure, infected persons usually recover completely, although it may take months. A small number of people experience ongoing symptoms such as joint pain, which can lead to chronic arthritis.

Marler has been an advocate for victims of foodborne illnesses since representing those made sickest by the historic outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in the early 1990s that was traced back to fast food giant, Jack in the Box. He has since represented thousands of victims of Salmonella and other foodborne illnesses.

Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of Salmonella outbreaks. The Salmonella lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Salmonella and other foodborne illness outbreaks, and have recovered over $600 million for clients. Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation. Marler Clark attorneys have litigated Salmonella cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of foods, such as cantaloupe, tomatoes, ground turkey, salami, sprouts, cereal, peanut butter, and food served in restaurants. The firm has brought Salmonella lawsuits against companies such as Cargill, ConAgra, Peanut Corporation of America, Sheetz, Taco Bell, Subway, and Wal-Mart.