Organic Pastures Raw Milk Linked to E. coli and HUS Outbreak in California
I represent people sickened by raw milk due to contamination with E. coli O157:H7 and other dangerous pathogens. Raw milk can cause kidney failure, brain damage, paralysis and death. I know because I have stood by the bedsides of people who innocently drank raw milk and ended up hooked up to life support fighting for their lives. I have one client who is paralyzed from the neck down after drinking raw milk.
Every outbreak linked to raw milk is a tragedy that could have been prevented. Today, the California Department of Food and Agriculture announced a recall and quarantine of raw milk after an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections was linked by epidemiological evidence to Organic Pastures of Fresno County. Five children were infected with the same strain of E. coli O157:H7 after drinking raw milk produced by Organic Pastures. These children are residents of Contra Costa, Kings, Sacramento, and San Diego counties.
Three of the five children were hospitalized with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious condition that may lead to kidney failure, stroke, brain damage, pancreatitis, heart failure and a host of other serious medical problems. My experience is that parents who let their children drink raw milk believe raw milk is the healthiest option. The parents are not told that raw milk can contain pathogens so dangerous that their child could be permanently disabled or killed. They are not told that young children are at greater risk of contracting these infections and getting really sick from them.
Below is information about raw milk from the CDC:
Raw milk can carry harmful germs that can make you very sick or kill you. If you’re thinking about drinking raw milk because you believe it has health benefits, consider other options.
Trying to decide about raw milk?
Developing a healthy lifestyle is a process with many decisions and steps. One step you might be thinking about is adding raw milk to your diet. Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized to kill harmful germs. Germs include bacteria, viruses, and parasites. It’s important to understand the risks of drinking raw milk, especially because you may be hearing claims about the supposed “benefits” of raw milk.
Raw milk contains bacteria, and some of them can be harmful. So, if you’re thinking about consuming raw milk because you believe that it is a good source of beneficial bacteria, you need to know that it isn’t and you may instead get sick from the harmful bacteria. If you think that certain types of bacteria may be beneficial to your health, consider getting them from foods that don’t involve such a high risk. For example, so-called probiotic bacteria are sometimes added to pasteurized fermented foods, such as yogurt and kefir.
Milk and products made from milk need minimal processing, called pasteurization, which can be done by heating the milk briefly (for example, heating it to 161°F for about 20 seconds). When milk is pasteurized, some bacteria remain in it, but the disease-causing ones are killed. Harmful germs usually don’t change the look, taste, or smell of milk, so only when milk has been pasteurized can you be confident that these germs are not present. To ensure that milk is safe, processors rapidly cool it after pasteurization, practice sanitary handling, and store milk in clean, closed containers at 45°F or below.
Remember, you can’t look at, smell, or taste a bottle of raw milk and tell if it’s safe to drink. Make the best decision for the health of your family. If you want to keep milk in your family’s diet, protect them by not giving them raw milk. Even healthy adults can get sick from drinking raw milk. If you’re thinking about drinking raw milk because you believe it has health benefits, consider other options.
Who is at greatest risk of getting sick from drinking raw milk?
The risk of getting sick from drinking raw milk is greater for infants and young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as people with cancer, an organ transplant, or HIV/AIDS, than it is for healthy school-aged children and adults. But, it is important to remember that healthy people of any age can get very sick or even die if they drink raw milk contaminated with harmful germs.
What are the risks associated with drinking raw milk?
Raw milk can carry harmful bacteria and other germs that can make you very sick or kill you. While it is possible to get foodborne illnesses from many different foods, raw milk is one of the riskiest of all.
Getting sick from raw milk can mean many days of diarrhea, stomach cramping, and vomiting. Less commonly, it can mean kidney failure, paralysis, chronic disorders, and even death.
Many people who chose raw milk thinking they would improve their health instead found themselves (or their loved ones) sick in a hospital for several weeks fighting for their lives from infections caused by germs in raw milk. For example, a person can develop severe or even life-threatening diseases, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, which can cause paralysis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can result in kidney failure and stroke.
Aren’t raw or natural foods better than processed foods?
Many people believe that foods with no or minimal processing are better for their health. Many people also believe that small, local farms are better sources of healthy food. However, some types of processing are needed to protect health. For example, consumers process raw meat, poultry, and fish for safety by cooking. Similarly, when milk is pasteurized, it is heated just long enough to kill disease-causing germs. Most nutrients remain after milk is pasteurized. There are many local, small farms that offer pasteurized organic milk and cheese products.
I’ve heard that many organic and raw milk producers are creating sanitary and humane conditions for raising animals and producing “safe” raw milk and raw milk products (like cheeses and yogurts). Does this help reduce milk contamination?
Adherence to good hygienic practices during milking can reduce, but not eliminate, the risk of milk contamination. The dairy farm environment is a reservoir for illness-causing germs. No matter what precautions farmers take, and even if their raw milk tests come back negative, they cannot guarantee that their milk, or the products made from their milk, are free of harmful germs.
- Germs such as Escherichia coli O157, Campylobacter, and Salmonella can contaminate milk during the process of milking dairy animals, including cows and goats. Animals that carry these germs are usually healthy.
How does milk get contaminated?
Milk contamination may occur from:
- Cow feces coming into direct contact with the milk
- Infection of the cow’s udder (mastitis)
- Cow diseases (e.g., bovine tuberculosis)
- Bacteria that live on the skin of cows
- Environment (e.g., feces, dirt, processing equipment)
- Insects, rodents, and other animal vectors
- Humans, for example, by cross-contamination from soiled clothing and boots
Pasteurization is the only way to kill many of the bacteria in milk that can make people very sick.
Information about raw milk-related outbreaks
States that allow the legal sale of raw milk for human consumption have more raw milk-related outbreaks of illness than states that do not allow raw milk to be sold legally.
Among dairy product-associated outbreaks reported to CDC between 1973 and 2008 in which the investigators reported whether the product was pasteurized or raw, 82% were due to raw milk or cheese. From 1998 through 2008, 86 outbreaks due to consumption of raw milk or raw milk products were reported to CDC. These resulted in 1,676 illnesses, 191 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths. Most of these illnesses were caused by Escherichia coli O157, Campylobacter, or Salmonella. It is important to note that a substantial proportion of the raw milk-associated disease burden falls on children; among the 86 raw dairy product outbreaks from 1998 to 2008, 79% involved at least one person less than 20 years old.
Reported outbreaks represent the tip of the iceberg. For every outbreak and every illness reported, many others occur, and most illnesses are not part of recognized outbreaks.
North Carolina State Fair E. coli Outbreak Linked to Kelley Building Animal Exhibits
The investigation into the recent E. coli outbreak in North Carolina has determined that the E. coli infections were likely transmitted in the Kelley Building at the North Carolina State Fair. The Kelley Building is one of the permanent structures on the fairgrounds where sheep, goats, and pigs were housed and competed in livestock shows during the fair. State Epidemiologist Megan Davies said the illness is likely related to animal contact, though the study did not implicate any specific animal or breed in the outbreak.
“We know that E. coli 0157 is often found in the intestines of ruminant animals, which include cows, goats and sheep,” Davies said. “These bacteria are shed in the animal’s feces, so if it is on the animal itself or surfaces around the animal that someone touches, the bacteria can be transmitted to that person.”
North Carolina officials are investigating 27 cases related to the North Carolina State Fair outbreak. To date, they have confirmed 11 cases. Of the 11 confirmed cases, 10 were confirmed by the State Laboratory of Public Health as being E. coli 0157:H7 with matching PFGE patterns (DNA fingerprinting). The 11th case did not have laboratory confirmation of E.coli O157:H7, but had hemolytic uremic syndrome, an uncommon, but serious complication of E. coli 0157:H7 infection. The remaining 16 cases were clinically confirmed as connected to the outbreak, meaning they had symptoms consistent with E. coli 0157:H7.
The latest numbers and counties involved include the following:
Wake – 13
Sampson – 6
Cleveland – 1
Durham – 1
Johnston – 1
Lenoir – 1
Orange – 2
Wilson – 2
“This outbreak highlights the need for more protective measures at animal exhibits. Young children are most at risk. The burden should not be placed on parents, but fair officials and animal exhibitors need to make sure the animals are clean and tested,” said Attorney Fred Pritzker, who represents E. coli victims and is representing a young boy who contracted E. coli from a petting zoo in 2010.
The Kelley Building was implicated after a carefully conducted case-control study involving 27 individuals identified as having contracted E. coli after attending the fair in October and another 87 individuals who attended the fair, but did not get sick. Investigators from the Division of Public Health did phone and in-person interviews using a survey tool developed for this purpose that asked a comprehensive series of questions about activities at the fair. Activities included animal exhibits, foods, rides and attractions.
Arapahoe County Jail E. coli Outbreak in Colorado
Six people housed at the Arapahoe County jail have come down with E. coli poisoning prompting an investigation by the state and Tri-County Health Departments. Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson told News 9 that the jail had six confirmed cases on Friday and 14 inmates have come down with symptoms of E. coli. One inmate had to be treated at the hospital for dehydration, which if severe enough can cause high blood pressure and other complications. All of the people sickened lived in Pod 3.
The source of the outbreak is not yet known, and in cases like this involving inmates, it is best for families to hire an E. coli lawyer to help with the investigation and to protect the E. coli victims’ rights. Contact our E. coli lawyers for a free consultation.
Source: http://www.9news.com/news/local/article/228582/346/E-coli-outbreak-in-county-jail
St. Louis E. coli Outbreak Update: 30 Confirmed Cases
The investigation of the E. coli outbreak in the St. Louis, MO area continues, and new confirmed cases are added almost daily. There are now 30 people with confirmed cases of E. coli O157:H7. All of these people were sickened by E. coli bacteria with matching DNA fingerprints. Most of them ate food from a Schnucks salad bar.
Contact our E. coli lawyers for a free consultation regarding a Schnucks E. coli lawsuit.
One of the confirmed cases is not from the St. Louis area, but from Boone County. That person reported spending time in St. Louis during the timeframe established by the investigative team for the outbreak. Investigators continue to work with public health officials to determine whether three other specimens previously submitted from Boone County are connected to the outbreak. These specimens tested positive for E. coli O157:H7.
DHSS continues to work closely with a team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC has set up a case study by contacting individuals in neighborhoods where patients have been identified. The case control study will enable investigators to compare data from participants with those who have become sick.
DHSS has tested 55 food samples obtained from Schnucks salad bars and ill person’s homes. None of the samples tested positive for E. coli. The search for the source of the outbreak now involves the inspection of facilities that may have been part of the distribution chain supplying salad bar items to Schnucks. The FDA is assisting with the investigation of these facilities because some of them are located in other states.
State Fair in Raleigh, NC: E. coli O157 Source Still Not Known
As the number of confirmed cases in the E. coli O157 outbreak linked to the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh, health investigators are still unable to determine what caused the outbreak. The CDC has been called in to help and testing of samples continues. The likely sources of the outbreak are either an animal exhibit (for example, the petting zoo) or food sold by one of the fair vendors.
The N.C. Division of Public Health reports that it is now investigating 28 cases related to the E. coli outbreak. Twelve cases are confirmed E. coli cases; 16 cases are still being investigated. The latest numbers and counties involved:
Wake – 13
Sampson – 6
Cleveland – 1
Durham – 2
Johnston – 1
Lenoir – 1
Orange – 2
Wilson – 2
St Louis E Coli Outbreak Includes Salad Bar Suppliers to Schnucks and Other Retailers
The search for the source of the St. Louis E. coli outbreak is expanding beyond Missouri’s borders to include grocery store suppliers and distributors from outside the state. Missouri health officials will now enlist the help of the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the investigation broadens to include suppliers and distributors to Schnucks and other retailers.
Some, but not all, of the 26 confirmed cases in the outbreak ate from salad bars at Schnucks stores and inspections of several Schnucks stores and warehouses have all turned up clean, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) said in an update about the investigation released yesterday.
Laboratory testing to identify the “genetic fingerprint” of the E. coli involved is underway. So far, 26 samples have been completed and they all match, suggesting that all 26 people are part of the outbreak and that only one specific organism is involved, DHSS said in the statement.
Food samples are also being tested to determine whether E. coli is present. So far, 17 samples have been submitted, and all have come back negative for E. coli. These samples included two strawberries retrieved from sick individuals’ homes, DHSS statement said. The remaining samples consist of lettuce, strawberries, and Caesar dressing taken from several Schnuck’s stores in the region.
“Those products that were in question were not created by Schnucks,” Schnucks spokeswoman Lori Willis told the Moris Daily Herald. “There’s got to be a supplier involved in some way.”
Public health officials continue to urge anyone in the St. Louis area experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms, including severe stomach cramps, diarrhea or nausea, to seek medical attention.
Those with legal questions about an illness associated with this outbreak should contact PritzkerOlsen P.A., one of the nation’s leading food safety law firms for a free consultation regarding a . A toll free number is also available 1(888) 377-8900.
2-Year-Old Hunter Tallent is the Face of E. coli in NC
The State Fair E. coli outbreak in North Carolina is not a nameless, faceless medical emergency. A 2-year-old boy from Shelby, North Carolina, is fighting for his life as he receives dialysis treatments and blood transfusions at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte.
The boy’s name is Hunter Tallent. A story in the local newspaper explains how he was diagnosed with E. coli poisoning after a family trip to the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh. As of Tuesday, Hunter still had no kidney function after more than a week of treatments. The family learned October 24 that Hunter was infected with E. coli poisoning and had developed a life-threatening complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, that is most common in children under the age of 5.
“They immediately said he’s got to go, his kidneys are failing,” mother Lindsay Tallent told The Shelby Star newspaper. “My heart hit the floor. We thought maybe he got dehydrated…needed a few bags of fluid and would be home in a couple of hours.”
The young boy contracted the illness at the N.C. State Fair in Raleigh, which public health investigators have linked to the outbreak. About two dozen people have been confirmed as victims, including Hunter. Scientists are still trying to determine whether the outbreak was caused by contaminated food or an animal exhibit.
Community support from the people in Cleveland County has been a real lift, spiritually, for Hunter and his family.
“We’re just having to wait and watch and hope and pray,” his mother said.
Source: Shelby Star
