Sacramento Area Campylobacter Food Poisoning Lawyer
Sacramento Area Campylobacter Food Poisoning Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento personal injury attorney. Campylobacter is a type of bacterium that can cause intestinal illnesses and infections. The bacteria are a significant cause of many foodborne diarrheal illnesses in humans and are actually the most common bacteria that cause gastroenteritis worldwide. While campylobacter infections are typically mild illnesses, complications can lead one to develop paralysis from Guillain-Barre syndrome, and an infection can sometimes even cause death, particularly in more sensitive populations like children, the elderly, and the immunosuppressed.
What Is Campylobacter?
Campylobacter are spiral-shaped, curved, or rod-shaped bacteria that are mainly found in the intestinal tract of birds, especially in chickens and other poultry, but can also be found in the intestines of other animals like cattle and pigs. According to some statistics, campylobacter can be found on nearly half of all raw chicken meat in the United States. However, contaminated water or ice can also be a source of a campylobacter infection. Sometimes, one can even become infected following contact with contaminated water during recreational activities.
Generally, if you have been infected with campylobacter, your symptoms will occur two to five days after contact with the bacteria. Common symptoms can include diarrhea, bloody stools, fever, abdominal pain, headache, vomiting, and/or nausea, all of which can last from three to six days. Treatment for a mild case of campylobacter is not usually required, except that you will likely need to make sure to rehydrate. However, in some invasive cases where the bacteria damage intestinal tissues, antimicrobial treatment may be necessary. While death from campylobacter is rare, it can occur among children, the elderly, and the immunosuppressed. Complications can cause more severe illnesses like pancreatitis, hepatitis, and bacteraemia, which is the presence of bacteria in the blood. Post-infection complications can include the neurological disorder, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and in some cases, complications can lead to death.
Watch the Youtube video below to learn more about the symptoms and complications of Campylobacter:
How Can I Prevent A Campylobacter Infection?
In most cases, poultry and other meat products are contaminated by campylobacter via feces during processing. The undercooking of the contaminated poultry or meat post-processing is often thought to be a major cause of the illness. While it may not be possible to control or prevent possible contamination at all stages of the food chain, especially if you are eating out at a restaurant, by keeping your own food preparation area clean, and making sure you fully cook poultry and other meat, you can reduce your chances of a campylobacter infection.
Campylobacter Food Poisoning Litigation
Even a tiny drop of raw chicken juice in or on your food, on your kitchen counter, or a restaurant’s food preparation surface can cause a campylobacter infection. If you believe that you have been infected by campylobacter bacteria, it is important that you determine the source of the poisoning, especially if you become severely ill as a result of the infection. A serious infection can result in expensive and extensive medical treatment, therapy, lost wages, disability, and even death. However, a successful lawsuit against the food processor, manufacturer, distributor, restaurant, food retailer, or other food company that was the source of the campylobacter bacteria can compensate you for your expenses, pain and suffering, and/or other damages. If you become severely ill as the result of a campylobacter infection, be sure to seek medical treatment right away. Clinical and laboratory tests will be able to confirm whether the illness is caused by the campylobacter bacteria, and health care professionals will hopefully be able to treat the infection before any possible complications occur. It is also important to remember what and where you ate during the two weeks prior to the infection so as to determine the source of the campylobacter bacteria and therefore hold accountable those who caused your illness.
Sacramento Area Campylobacter Food Poisoning Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Campylobacter Food Poisoning Lawyer. If you or a family member has been seriously injured or has passed away due to food poisoning, please call me today at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly advice.
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Image Attribution: Courtesy of De Wood, Pooley, USDA, ARS, EMU. [Images in the Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons