E. coli and HUS from Hartmann Dairy Raw Milk in Minnesota
Minnesota E. coli lawyer Fred Pritzker has recently filed a lawsuit on behalf of a man who was paralyzed after consuming raw milk (not Hartmann Dairy raw milk, but an outbreak in Ohio). He is also representing a Minnesota toddler who contracted an E. coli infection and then developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Contact Attorney Fred Pritzker for a free consultation.
Minnesota health officials have linked three cases of E. coli O157:H7 poisoning with raw milk from Hartmann Dairy Farm in Gibbon, Minnesota:
The Minnesota Department of Health urges anyone who may have recently purchased milk from the Hartmann Dairy Farm, also known as M.O.M.’s, to discard the product and not consume it. The milk may be labeled organic and consumers may be unaware that the milk has not been pasteurized. In addition, consumers should not eat cheese, ice cream or other dairy products from the farm, which also may have been made from raw, unpasteurized milk.
The Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture are continuing to investigate a cluster of four E. coli O157:H7 illnesses that all have the same “pulsed field gel electrophoresis” (PFGE) patterns, or DNA fingerprint. Three of the four cases report a link to milk from Hartmann Farm; the fourth case is under investigation. Three of the four people were hospitalized as a result of their illness; one case has developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
Minnesota law prohibits most raw milk sales, except for occasional purchases directly at the farm where the milk is produced.
Raw milk is a dangerous product that should not be sold to the public. Virtually every health department, federal, state and local, recommends against its use. It is particularly dangerous for young children, people with compromised immune systems and the elderly.
There is no evidence that the E.coli came from the Hartmann farm. In fact, the Dept. of Agriculture tested the dairy, received results, and sent those results to the Attorney General’s office. The Attorney General’s office is withholding the results of the tests, which could—and should—clear this farm’s name. Speculation is wrong. You should investigate the actual evidence before proclaiming untruths. (IE: two of the ill children have never even consumed raw milk) E.coli can be contracted from anything raw; remember last year’s spinach & tomato scare? It may also be found in lake water; we are in the summer months, after all.
Melissa Moehrl
3-year consumer of raw dairy from the Hartmann’s; mother of 3 & 5-year-old children