Outbreak Strain of E. coli O157 Found on Hartmann Dairy Farm
An E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in Minnesota has now been linked to the Hartmann dairy farm in Gibbon, Minnesota, according to a Minnesota Department of Health press release. Five people where sickened, 4 of them children. One of the children sickened, a toddler, developed E. coli-related hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and has been in the hospital. E. coli lawyer Fred Pritzker has represented children with E. coli HUS:
HUS devastates little bodies. My HUS clients all came close to death, suffered kidney failure and were hospitalized for weeks or months. Parents lose income because they are at their extremely ill child’s bedside, and at the same time, the medical bills keep coming. All of this, and they have to stand by helplessly hoping and praying their child survives. It is tragic.
Now that there is solid, microbiological evidence that the Hartmann dairy farm is the source of the outbreak, the family of the HUS victim can seek compensation on behalf of their child and themselves for the medical expenses, loss of income, pain and suffering and other expenses and losses. This is not a matter of being out to get anyone. The financial strain on a family in their situation is so enormous that it puts a strain on relationships and may prevent their child from getting the best care both now and in the future.
The following is a press release from the Minnesota Department of Health:
Laboratory testing conducted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) this week provided additional evidence that the Hartmann dairy farm, of rural Gibbon, was the source of a strain of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria that sickened at least five Minnesotans after they consumed raw, unpasteurized milk or other dairy products from the farm. MDH reported four cases of illness last week, and a fifth case has subsequently been confirmed in a young child who was not hospitalized.
MDH first discovered the outbreak through reports of E. coli O157:H7 illness from health care providers. The department conducted an investigation into the illnesses, which were scattered across the state, and found that the only thing the ill people had in common was consumption of dairy products from the Hartmann farm. This strong epidemiological link is now reinforced by the laboratory confirmation that the specific strain of E. coli O157:H7 found in the ill patients has also been found in multiple animals and at multiple sites on the Hartmann farm. This strain of E. coli has not previously been found in Minnesota. Furthermore, laboratory tests confirmed that cheese samples collected last week from the farm contained another form of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, demonstrating that an ongoing pathway of contamination existed on the farm.
The test results underscore the dangers of consuming milk that has not been pasteurized to eliminate E. coli and other potentially deadly bacteria. Leading public health organizations such as the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics all advocate pasteurization as a standard public health practice.
“Raw milk presents a serious health risk,” said Minnesota Health Commissioner Dr. Sanne Magnan. “This risk isn’t a matter of personal opinion; it’s an established scientific fact. Drinking raw milk or eating products made from raw milk can expose consumers to a variety of organisms that can result in anything from a few days of diarrhea to kidney failure and death. Raw milk is especially dangerous for children, whose immune systems can’t fight off infection as well as healthy adults.”
In addition to the cases linked to the Hartmann farm, MDH is investigating several other illnesses with a connection to products from the farm. MDA has embargoed dairy products on the Hartmann farm, prohibiting movement or release of the products off the farm.
It is illegal to sell raw milk in Minnesota, although occasional sales are allowed on the farm where the milk is produced. For details, visit the MDA website at http://www.mda.state.mn.us/en/food/safety/rawmilkinfo.aspx. Additional information, including a newly developed Frequently Asked Questions document is available on the MDH website at http://www.health.state.mn.us/foodsafety/foods/rawmilk.html.
