E.coli Outbreak Prompts Raw Milk Recall In Oregon, Three Children Are Hospitalized
Raw milk produced for members of a herd-share program at Foundation Farm in Clackamas County, Oregon has been recalled after four children who drank the milk contracted E.coli 0157:H7 infections, according to health officials in Oregon.
Three of the children, who are all under the age of 15, have been hospitalized, two of them hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which causes kidney failure. Other members of the herd-share have aslo reported becoming ill.
Foundation Farm has voluntarily ceased distribution and its customers are being notified of the problem. The Oregon Public Health Division, the Oregon Department of Agriculture and several local health departments, are conducting an investigation. Raw milk laws vary from state to state. Retail sales of raw milk are not permitted in Oregon, but cow-shares or herd-shares are legal.
Food poisoning attorney, Fred Pritzker, has represented families whose loved ones have been sickened or hospitalized after drinking raw milk, a product they believed to be safe and healthy. Recently, Pritzker called for better consumer protections saying better regulation of raw milk is needed.
“Every raw milk product, whether purchased on the farm, at a farmer’s market or at a grocery store should have a label that warns consumers of the risk of severe illness and death,” said Pritzker. “Consumers of raw milk are told of the supposed benefits of raw milk, but too many of them are giving these products to their young children without knowing that raw milk can carry dangerous pathogens.”
Symptoms of E. coli O157 infections include abdominal cramps, and diarrhea which is often bloody. Symptoms usually develop within two to eight days of exposure. Kidney failure and related complications may occur, especially among young children and the elderly.
If you have legal questions about an illness or a hospitalization associated with this outbreak, contact the E.coli lawyers at the law firm of PritzkerOlsen P.A., a national leader in food safety law.
Raw Milk Campylobacter Outbreak in Kansas Linked to Mystery Dairy Farm
A Campylobacter outbreak in Kansas linked to raw milk sickened 18 people in January of this year.
In January of this year, 18 people in Kansas drank raw milk contaminated with Campylobacter bacteria and contracted campylobacteriosis, an infection that can cause serious illness, including meningitis and Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). This outbreak was not mentioned by Kansas agriculture or health officials until yesterday, when the Kansas Department of Agriculture issued a press release regarding the dangers of raw milk. Even then, it is a stretch to call this going public with the outbreak because no information was provided other than that 18 people were sickened and the dairy was in south central Kansas.
When we contacted the Department of Agriculture, we could not get any additional information from them. We believe consumers should be told the name of the dairy. In addition, there should have been a recall of any product suspected as the source of the outbreak if there was any chance that the recall would prevent illness.
Contact our Campylobacter lawyers about a lawsuit against the dairy.
Organic Pastures Raw Milk Recall Due to E. coli and HUS Outbreak in Contra Costa, Kings, Sacramento and San Diego Counties
Raw milk is the source of another E. coli outbreak. This time it is raw milk products produced by Organic Pastures of Fresno County, California. Five children have been sickened, three of them developed a complication of an E. coli infection called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which causes kidney failure, stroke, heart attack, blindness and other serious health problems. These children are residents of Contra Costa, Kings, Sacramento, and San Diego counties.
According to Fred Pritzker, a food safety advocate as well as an attorney, consumers are not adequately warned about the risks associated with raw milk:
“One of the troubling issues about the sale of raw milk is that consumers are not adequately warned about the risks. I represent people sickened by raw milk contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 and other dangerous pathogens. Raw milk can cause kidney failure, 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.”
Fred Pritzker and his team of E. coli lawyers are available to families for a free consultation regarding a lawsuit against Organic Pastures for payment of medical bills and compensation for lost income, pain and suffering, emotional distress and other damages.
Organic Pastures Raw Milk Recall and Quarantine
In response to this outbreak, California State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Whiteford announced a statewide recall and quarantine order. Under the recall, all Organic Pastures raw dairy products with the exception of cheese aged a minimum of 60 days are to be pulled immediately from retail shelves and consumers are strongly urged to dispose of any products remaining in their refrigerators. Until further notice, Organic Pastures may not produce raw milk products for the retail market. The order also affects Organic Pastures raw butter, raw cream, raw colostrum, and a raw product labeled “Qephor.”
Epidemiological Evidence Implicating Organic Pastures Raw Milk
While laboratory samples of Organic Pastures raw milk have not detected E. coli 0157:H7 contamination, epidemiologic data collected by the California Department of Public Health link the illnesses with Organic Pastures raw milk. Interviews with the families indicate that the only common reported food exposure is unpasteurized (raw) milk from Organic Pastures dairy. Surveys indicate that only about three percent of the public report drinking raw milk in any given week so finding 100% of these children drank raw milk and the absence of other common foods or animal exposures indicates the Organic Pastures raw milk is the likely source of their infection.
What is Raw Milk?
The great majority of milk consumed in California is pasteurized. Raw milk is not pasteurized. Pasteurization is a process that kills harmful bacteria. In California, state law requires that raw milk and raw milk products shall bear the following warning on the label: “Warning – raw (unpasteurized) milk and raw milk dairy products may contain disease-causing micro-organisms. Persons at highest risk of disease from these organisms include newborns and infants; the elderly; pregnant women; those taking corticosteroids, antibiotics or antacids; and those having chronic illnesses or other conditions that weaken their immunity.”
What is E. coli O157:H7?
Symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 infection may include abdominal cramps and diarrhea which is often bloody. Most infected people recover within a week; however, some may develop complications that require hospitalization. Young children and the elderly are at highest risk for a potentially life-threatening complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which includes kidney failure. People who develop symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 infection after consuming unpasteurized milk or milk products should consult their health care provider. Physicians who have patients suspected of having HUS or E. coli O157:H7 infections should report them to the local health department.
Washington E. coli and HUS Risk: Pride & Joy Raw Milk Recall
Our attorneys are investigating possible E. coli poisoning cases in Washington that may be associated with Pride & Joy Creamery, LLC of Granger, Washington. E. coli can lead to kidney failure caused by a serious complication of an E. coli infection called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Contact our lawyers for a free consultation.
Pride & Joy Creamery Raw Milk Recall
Pride & Joy Creamery is recalling raw fluid milk because it may be contaminated with Escherichia coli bacteria (E. coli) that can cause serious illness, including E. coli-HUS. The unpasteurized milk was sold at the farm and distributed through nine retail outlets in King, Pierce, Snohomish and Skagit counties.
The recall was initiated after sampling by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) discovered that the raw milk was contaminated with Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli. Pride & Joy Dairy and WSDA are continuing their investigation into the source of the problem.
WSDA and other public health officials are exploring the possibility that there has been human illness linked to this milk.
Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infections may cause severe diarrhea, stomach cramps and bloody stool. Symptoms generally appear three to four days after exposure, but can take as long as nine days to appear. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should contact a health care provider.
As discussed above, an E. coli infection sometimes causes hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious disease in which red blood cells are destroyed and the kidneys fail. Infants, children, pregnant women, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems are especially at risk.
Pride & Joy Raw Cow’s Milk bearing expiration dates of 9/30/2011 and 9/31/11 has been recalled. The milk is sold only in gallon, half gallon and quart containers. Recalled raw milk was sold from the on-farm store at 2145 Liberty Road in Granger, WA and from the following locations:
Sno-isle
804 Grand Avenue
Everett, WA 98201
Phone: 425-259-3798
Truhealth
18001 Bothell-Everet
Suite 109
Bothell, WA 98012
Phone: 425-415-8410
Marlenes Market
2951 S. 38th ST.
Tacoma, WA 98409
Phone 253-472-4080
Marlenes Market
2565 s. Gateway Center Place
Federal Way, WA 98003
Phone; 253-839-0933
Skagit Valley Food
202 S. 1st Street
Mt. Vernon, WA 98273
Phone; 360-336-9777
Manna Mills
21705 66th Ave, West
Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043
Phone: 425-775-3479
Madison Market
1600 Madison
Seattle, WA 98122
Phone: 206-329-1545
Nature’s Market
26011 104th Ave, SE
Kent, WA 98030
Phone: 253-854-5395
Sunshine Corner Nutrition
15220 SE 272th, Suite F
Kent, WA 98042
Phone: 253-631-1069
If someone has been sickened after drinking Pride & Joy Creamery raw milk, contact an attorney immediately to protect legal rights. Consumers who have purchased Pride & Joy raw milk with expiration dates of 9/30/2011 and 9/31/11 are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund if no one has been sickened by the milk. The incubation period for E. coli can be as long as 10 days.
