Marine Recruit E. coli Outbreak source of permanent health issues
Permanent brain damage and permanent kidney damage continue to plague Marine Corps recruits who ate on base at Camp Pendleton in October 2017 following an e. coli outbreak. An outbreak of e. coli infections, linked to undercooked ground beef served by food service company Sodexo, caused the health issues that the young recruits will have to deal with for the rest of their lives.
Approximately 244 Marines were impacted by the Marine recruit e. coli outbreak. Fifteen of those were diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 5–10% of people diagnosed with an e. coli infection develop a life-threatening complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. Although most people with HUS recover, some, like the affected Marine recruits, suffer permanent health problems including brain damage, kidney damage, and epilepsy.
The problems began in October 2017 when Marine recruits who ate on base began to suffer serious symptoms of a gastrointestinal illness, including abdominal cramping and nausea that turned into vomiting and bloody diarrhea. Investigations of the e. coli outbreak conducted by the CDC and the Marine Corps traced the source of the e. coli contamination to undercooked ground beef that was served by Sodexo, a food service company contracted by the Department of Defense.
Many of the marine recruits who were infected by the Marine recruit e. coli outbreak hesitated to seek out healthcare treatment as they did not want to hurt their chances of completing boot camp. As it turned out, they not only were discharged from the Marines, but many now continue to suffer the consequences of the e. coli infections. At least 15 will suffer from their illness for the rest of their lives.
A number of lawsuits have been filed in San Diego in the Marine Recruit E. coli Outbreak by victims.
