Author: McKenna Madison Coveny

Federal health officials have reopened a multistate Salmonella outbreak investigation after dozens of additional illnesses were reported months after the outbreak was believed to be under control. The outbreak, linked to dietary supplements containing moringa leaf powder, has become one of the most unusual foodborne illness investigations of 2026 and highlights the challenges regulators face when contaminated products remain in consumers’ homes long after recalls are issued. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) originally investigated the outbreak earlier this year after identifying illnesses associated with dietary supplements containing moringa leaf powder. Although…

Foodborne illness remains a major public health concern worldwide. In the United States alone, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately 48 million people become sick from foodborne diseases each year, resulting in about 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. Identifying the source of outbreaks quickly is critical for preventing additional illnesses and protecting consumers. One of the most significant scientific developments in modern food safety is the use of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), a technology that allows scientists to analyze the complete genetic makeup of bacteria and other pathogens. Over the past decade, WGS has transformed…

Foodborne illnesses affect millions of people each year and remain a significant public health challenge. While many cases result in mild symptoms and resolve without medical intervention, some outbreaks cause severe illness, hospitalization, and death. Public health agencies play a critical role in detecting outbreaks, identifying contaminated foods, removing dangerous products from the market, and informing the public about potential risks. Understanding how these agencies respond provides valuable insight into the systems that protect food safety in the United States. The outbreak response process often begins with healthcare providers and in clinical laboratories. When patients seek medical care for symptoms…

Hepatitis A is one of the oldest and most important foodborne and waterborne viral diseases known to public health. Unlike many food poisoning pathogens, Hepatitis A is not a bacterium that multiplies in food, produces toxins, or causes illness within hours. It is a human virus that uses food, water, hands, surfaces, and close contact as vehicles to move from one infected person to another. Its target is the liver, but its route of travel is usually the mouth. That combination makes Hepatitis A both biologically distinctive and epidemiologically difficult to control. A microscopic amount of fecal contamination can be…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 26, 2026 LAWSUIT FILED OVER E. COLI O157:H7 OUTBREAK LINKED TO THE KEBAB SHOP BEEF KOFTA IN ORANGE COUNTY CALIFORNIA Complaint alleges child suffered acute kidney failure and hemolytic uremic syndrome after eating food tied to the spring 2026 outbreak. SAN DIEGO, California — A Kebab Shop lawsuit has been filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Orange, on behalf of Jeffrey Gogue, individually and on behalf of his minor child, K.G., against TKS Restaurants dba The Kebab Shop and Olympia Foods Industries, Inc. dba Olympia Foods. The complaint alleges that K.G. suffered a…

E. Coli 0157:H7 – 9 Hospitlaized E. coli outbreak at The Kebab Shop: What we know A multistate E. coli outbreak linked to The Kebab Shop restaurant chain sickened dozens of people across Southern California, triggering investigations by the CDC, FDA, state and local health authorities, and prompting multiple location closures. HEALTH ALERT Anyone who ate at The Kebab Shop locations in California and developed symptoms of E. coli infection — particularly bloody diarrhea, severe stomach cramps, or signs of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) — was urged to seek medical care immediately. At a glance: Background: The Kebab Shop The…

A Survey of Humanity’s Most Devastating Microbial Adversaries Throughout recorded history, infectious disease has shaped the fate of civilizations, toppled empires, and claimed more human lives than all wars combined. From the plague-ridden streets of medieval Europe to the crowded tenements of industrializing cities, microscopic organisms have proven relentlessly effective at exploiting human biology. Today, advances in epidemiology and microbiology allow us to measure these tolls with unprecedented precision—and the numbers are staggering. Note: According to the most experienced E. coli lawyer in the nation, Ron Simon, “we are still battling viral and bacterial outbreaks every day, including e. coli,…

A Comprehensive Analysis of Contaminated Onions,McDonald’s Menu Items, and Other Affected Restaurants I. Overview of the Outbreak In the fall of 2024, a deadly outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 swept across 14 U.S. states, ultimately sickening at least 104 people, hospitalizing 34, and claiming one life. The outbreak was traced to contaminated slivered yellow onions supplied by Taylor Farms — a California-based produce company — to McDonald’s restaurants primarily in the Midwest and Mountain West regions of the United States. Illness onset dates ranged from September 12 through October 21, 2024, and the CDC formally declared the outbreak “over” on…

Every year, roughly 1.35 million Americans contract Salmonella. About 26,500 are hospitalized. Approximately 420 die. Those numbers, drawn from CDC estimates, tell part of the story. What they don’t capture is the weeks of violent illness, the emergency room visits, the missed work, the children kept home from school, the lingering joint pain that can persist for years — and the quiet devastation of families who trusted that the food on their plates was safe to eat. When something goes wrong with the food supply, and it does with alarming regularity, those families eventually start looking for answers. A growing…

There are lawyers who stumble into food safety work — a case here, a referral there — and then there is Ron Simon. For more than three decades, Simon has built his Houston-based firm, Ron Simon & Associates, into what many in the legal and public health communities consider the nation’s foremost practice dedicated to foodborne illness litigation. With more than $850 million recovered for over 6,000 victims, and a track record of filing the first lawsuits in some of the country’s most high-profile E. coli outbreaks, Simon has become the attorney that both victims and major corporations recognize by…