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Old 04-30-2012, 11:23 PM   #337
Lamplighter
Person who doesn't update the user title
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Bottom lands of the Missoula floods
Posts: 6,402
Yet again...


The Oregonian

Lynne Terry
April 30, 2012

Oregon health officials suspect two more illnesses linked to outbreak of raw milk from Wilsonville farm
Quote:
Oregon health officials suspect two more illnesses are part of
a raw milk outbreak traced nearly three weeks ago to a farm near Wilsonville.

William Keene, senior epidemiologist with Oregon Public Health, said
the two adults had both consumed raw milk from Foundation Farm,
including one person who continued to drink it after being warned about the outbreak.

Keene said one was sickened by campylobacter, the other by cryptosporidium,
making 21 likely cases in the outbreak. Nineteen others were infected with E. coli.
One of the worst foodborne pathogens, E. coli O157:H7 was on rectal swabs
from two of the farm's four cows. Milk and manure from the farm also tested positive for the same bacteria.

State epidemiologists did not test for campylobacter or cryptosporidium
so they don't know for sure that the two new cases are linked to Foundation Farm milk,
but Keene said it's likely.

Cryptosporidium and campylobacter repeatedly turn up in raw milk,
he said, along with other harmful bacteria.
"There is a long list of pathogens that people can get from raw milk," he said.

Four children who drank the milk were hospitalized
with acute kidney failure, which is associated with E. coli O157:H7.
As of Friday, they were still in the hospital, Keene said.

Two of the patients -- 14 and 13 -- are Portland area middle schoolers. The others are 3 and 1 years old.
A fifth child from Lane County, who drank the milk while visiting relatives in the Portland area, was hospitalized and released.

Foundation Farm, located on five acres in the Stafford area,
had a herd-share operation for a least a year, selling parts of cows to 48 families.
In return, they had regular access to the raw milk.

Brad Salyers, owner of the farm, has not returned calls seeking comment.
He provided Oregon health officials with contact information for the families and advised them of the outbreak.

Health officials also interviewed most of the families.
They were surprised that one person continued to drink the milk even after being advised that it was contaminated.
Keene said the second patient went looking for a new source.

Just under 3 percent of Oregonians drink raw milk, according to a survey by Oregon Public Health.
They tend to be passionate about it, despite public warnings.

"We've documented yet another unfortunate incident where people
missed the boat on one of the great advances in public health
-- pasteurization," Keene said.
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