State testing matches E. coli bacteria from Gibbon farm with those from ill consumers

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Minnesota Department of Health and Minnesota Department of Agriculture

News Release

June 3, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, June 3, 2010

CONTACTS:

Schommer, MDA Communications, , michael.schommer@...

Doug Schultz, MDH Communications, , doug.schultz@...

State testing matches E. coli bacteria from Gibbon farm with those from ill

consumers

ST. PAUL, Minn. – 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.â€

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.

GovDelivery, Inc. sending on behalf of the Minnesota

Department of Health · 625 Street North · St. MN 55155 ·