Billy Goat Dairy in Longmont, Colorado, has reopened and will continue to sell raw, unpasteurized milk.
Health officials connected the dairy to an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter that sickened at least 30 people, including two young children who were hospitalized with severe complications.
The Associated Press said the reopening follows compliance with criteria said by Boulder County Public Health, but nothing short of pasteurization will render raw milk products safe from deadly pathogens like E. coli O157:H7.
Both E. coli 0157 and Campylobacter bacteria were identified at the state public health laboratory in lab tests from samples taken at Billy Goat Diary farm. The strain of Campylobacter found in the raw goat milk, and the strain of E. coli found in the goats is an identical match to the strains found in the ill people. These bacteria are found in the intestines of animals and can be passed in their feces to food, water, and milk products that haven’t been pasteurized.
This outbreak resulted in two children developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening complication of E. coli infection that strikes young children more often than people in other age groups. E. coli HUS is the leading cause of kidney failure in children, but it also can result in severe damage to the heart, central nervous system and brain.
If you or a loved one has been sickened in this outbreak and are concerned about appropriate levels of compensation for medical expenses, travel, lost wages and other harms, contact an attorney at Prizker Olsen law firm at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page. We have years of experience representing HUS victims and E. coli patients sickened in foodborne illness outbreak and our firm is actively involved in efforts to prevent outbreaks.
