Cryptosporidium on Hartmann Farm Matches Crypto in Sick Raw Milk Drinkers
Four Cryptosporidium illnesses have been traced to raw milk produced on the Hartmann Farm in Gibbon, Minnesota -- the same place where state health investigators said an outbreak of E. coli 0157:H7 emerged in May and June, sickening at least eight people.
Besides associating Mike Hartmann's farm with four cases of Cryptosporidium parasites, the latest outbreak includes three drinkers of raw milk who suffered infection from Campylobacter jejuni bacteria, the Minnesota Department of Health said in a press release.The health department's Kirk Smith told the Star Tribune newspaper that four of those who got ill specifically in the lastest outbreak named the Hartmann farm as the source of their raw milk, and there is genetic evidence that the three other cases were also linked to the farm, Smith said.
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No one was hospitalized in the latest outbreak. The late May and June outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 sickened eight people, some of whom were hospitalized. "We're concerned that people are continuing to get sick after consuming products from this farm," Smith said. "We're also concerned that some people who became ill were given the Hartmann dairy product by friends or neighbors who did not tell them the source."
Hartmann's attorney, Zenas Baer, told the Star Tribune that state health officials have so far released only "very skimpy evidence" tying the latest illnesses to his client's farm in Sibley County.
Cryptosporidium is a parasite that causes crypotsporidiosis, an infection known as "Crypto," that causes severe diarrhea, sometimes lingering off and on for a month. It can cause severe illness in individuals who have weakened immune systems. Many species of Cryptosporidium exist that infect humans and a wide range of animals, but the type in this outbreak is parvum, according to the health department.
Cryptosporidium lawyers at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., are investigating this outbreak and monitoring reports from the health department to determine if more illnesses arise. The Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture are among the best foodborne illness experts in the country and their information is highly valued by federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Proving causation in a Cryptosporidium lawsuit is dependent on the kind of exact science practiced by Minnesota health agencies and interpreted by legal experts with years of experience in foodborne illness litigation.
PritzkerOlsen attorneys is one of the few law firms in the country practicing extensively in the area of food poisoning litigation and we have collected millions of dollars for victims of pathogenic bacteria and parasites like Crypto. Families affected by Crypto, E. coli or Campylobacter -- which can lead to Guillain Barre' syndrome -- can call the firm for a free case consultation at 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.
