Food Poisoning Law Blog : Food Poisoning Lawyer & Attorney : PritzkerLaw : Food Safety, Outbreaks & Recalls

Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia have all been affected by an outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni associated with raw milk from The Family Cow dairy farm in Chambersburg, Pa. The official count of 38 laboratory confirmed illnesses at week's end was expected to grow.

Because raw milk is not pasteurized, disease-causing organisms like Campylobacter, which grow in the intestines of cows and other animals, can translocate, survive the bottling process and multiply once inside a plastic jug or any other container. Children, the elderly and people who have weakened immune systems are most at risk for serious illness. Campylobacter infections, in particular, can lead to a life-threatening complication known as GBS, or Guillain-Barre' Syndrome.

In The Family Cow Campylobacter outbreak that began in mid-January, half of the victims have been under the age of 18. The ages of all case patients range from 2 to 74 and some individuals have been hospitalized. GBS can cause acute muscular paralysis and respiratory failure. By far, the largest number of illnesses (31) are in Pennsylvania, where Family Cow raw milk is sold at health food stores and drop points around Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, eastern Pennsylvania and the south-central region.

National food poisoning law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is conducting its own investigation and has noted a special finding by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.The DHMH Laboratories Administration has confirmed the presence of Campylobacter jejuni in two unopened raw milk samples purchased from this farm. This scientific link between the outbreak and Family Cow raw milk will be an important element in any outbreak-related Pennsylvania raw milk lawsuit.

Fred Pritzker, founder and president of PritzkerOlsen, is scheduled to debate the question of raw milk safety at Harvard University Law School Feb. 16. His firm is one of the very few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and he has collected millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning while also actively working on causes to stop bacterial contamination of our food supply.

Families and individuals harmed in the current raw milk outbreak in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia can contact a food illness lawyer at PritzkerOlsen or call the firm directly at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). Case consultations are free and clients are not required to pay unless and until a claim is secured for them.

PritzkerOlsen attorneys currently represent the family of a 67-year-old man from Mars, Pennsylvania, who was paralyzed as a result of drinking raw milk tainted with Campylobacter. Allegheny County is the location of that Pennsylvania raw milk lawsuit. 

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Sixteen people in Pennsylvania and four in Maryland have suffered campylobacteriosis in the past several weeks and all of them have consumed raw milk from the Chambersburg, Pa., farm known as The Family Cow.

That's what state health officials have told reporter David Wenner of The Patriot-News, painting a picture of a raw milk outbreak that has sent some of its victims to the hospital. The epidemiological evidence of causality was strong enough after the first illnesses were confirmed late last week for Maryland and Pennsylvania public health officials to alert consumers not to drink any Family Cow raw milk purchased since January 1. That consumer advisory is still in effect as investigators await smoking gun molecular evidence that the outbreak strain of Campylobacter is in the milk.

While those test results have been in process, owners of the farm have been quoted in various media reports, casting doubt that the outbreak was caused by The Family Cow, a farm operation that also sells organic meat and other products.

Food safety lawyers from PritzkerOlsen, P.A., have begun their own investigation of this outbreak and are accepting cases from individuals and families who have been sickened. Free consultations are available at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or simply leave your contact information and an attorney will call you. Our firm is one of the very few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and currently represents a Pennsylvania family in a raw milk Campylobacter lawsuit .

Over the years, PritzkerOlsen has collected millions for victims of food poisoning while also working actively in various campaigns to prevent life-threatening contamination of our food supply. President and founder Fred Pritzker is currently a board member at STOP Foodborne Illness Board of Directors. STOP is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention of illness and death from foodborne pathogents. 

Raw milk has become popular with some people who believe it has superior nutrition because it's not heated to kill germs like pasteurized milk. Studies, however, have not confirmed this, and federal and state authorities continue to warn about microscopic fecal contamination in milk products that are not pasteurized.  One of the repeated complications that arise from Campylobacter infection is GBS, or Guillain-Barre' Syndrome. GBS patients can suffer respiratory failure and acute muscular paralysis that impairs motor function and cause life-long harm, pain and suffering.

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Up to a dozen people in Pennsylvania and Maryland who drank raw milk from the Family Cow dairy near Chambersburg, Pa., are now confirmed case patients in an outbreak of Campylobacteriosis, a disease that can not only cause fever and diarrhea but can lead to respiratory failure and acute neuromuscular paralysis.

Local media reports quote the Pennsylvania Health Department as saying the outbreak has grown from six known cases to 12 since the outbreak was detected last week. Three of the initial cases were in Pennsylvania and three were in Maryland. 

The two states issued a public health advisory last week that remains in effect: Consumers should not drink any Family Cow raw milk purchased since January 1. The dairy voluntarily suspended production last week when the illnesses came to light. The implicated milk is sold in plastic containers of various sizes labeled with the Family Cow brand and "raw milk.'' It is sold at more than 20 health food stores in Pennsylvania and at more than 25 drop points around Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, south-central Pennsylvania and eastern Pennsylvania.

Law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., represents a family from Mars, Pennsylvania, in a Campylobacter raw milk lawsuit filed in 2010 in Allegheny County. The firm is investigating the Family Cow outbreak and accepting cases from individuals and families who have been harmed. Authorities in Pennsylvania and Maryland have not said if any of the current victims were hospitalized. Campylobacter infection can lead to a life-threatening disease known as GBS, or Guillain Barre Syndrome.  A good food poisoning lawyer will pursue a claim that covers not only initial medical bills, lost wages and other immediate costs, but also all future harms, including money for anticipated medical treatment, pain and suffering, loss of earning power, loss of companionship and other long-term effects.

In the initial phase of Campylobacter infection, symptoms usually occurs in two to five days after ingesting the bacteria. Patients often do not require specific medical treatment unless they become severely dehydrated or the infection spreads from the intestines. But in those cases, a person's breathing can shut down and they can lose motor function and become paralyzed.

Click here to contact an attorney from PritzkerOlsen or call the firm directly at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). Consultations are at no cost to callers and our firm requires no payment from you until your claim is won, Our law firm is one of the very few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and we have collected millions of dollars for survivors of contaminated food.

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Family Cow raw milk associated with a Campylobacter outbreak in Pennsylvania and Maryland was sold, among other places, at the Healthy Grocer in Camp Hill, Pa., and at various drop points and health food stores across the state.

The Family Cow website lists 29 total drop points for the milk around Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, south-central Pennsylvania and eastern Pennsylvania. At least 25 health food stores are listed as retailers of the farm's products.

Customers reported having high fever, diarrhea and the chills and health officials have confirmed that three people in Pennsylvania and three people in Maryland became infected by Camplyobacter bacteria, a dangerous pathogen emitted from cows and other animals in their feces. Campylobacter is one of several enteric bacteria associated with raw milk food illness outbreaks.

The Family Cow dairy of the Chambersburg area issued a news release advising customers with raw milk marked with a "best by'' date in January to discard it. The dairy advises customers who have milk with a “best by” date in February to hold the milk until testing reports come in. More results are expected Monday. Sales have been halted until at least Tuesday.

 A broader warning has been issued by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Health: Consumers should discard any product purchased from this farm since January 1, 2012.

 The implicated milk is labeled “raw milk” (meaning, not pasteurized) and is sold under “The Family Cow” label in plastic gallon, half gallon, quart and pint containers. 

National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is investigating this outbreak and accepting cases from families and individuals who have fallen ill. The firm currently represents a Mars, Pennsylvania, family in a raw milk Campylobacter lawsuit filed in 2010 in Allegheny County. In that case, a healthy 67-year-old man who drank contaminated raw milk suffered respiratory failure and acute neuromuscular paralysis from a complication of Campylobacter infection known as Guillain Barre syndrome, or GBS. 

Source: The Patriot-News

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A Pennsylvania and Maryland Campylobacter outbreak has been linked to raw milk from the Family Cow Dairy Store in Chambersburg, Pa. At least six people are ill, three from each state, and health officials in Pennsylvania and Maryland have issued a warning about raw milk purchased from the Family Cow since January 1, 2012.

It's illegal to sell unpasteurized milk in Maryland, but some consumers told authorities they have purchased the milk at pre-determined drop-off points.

Campylobacter jejuni is one of several harmful bacteria associated with unpasteurized milk. An infection from this pathogen can lead to several forms of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). Some of the more commonly encountered effects of GBS are limb and respiratory weakness, loss of reflexes and paralysis. Miller Fisher syndrome is a subtype of GBS.

A Pennsylvania Campylobacter raw milk lawsuit was filed in 2010 by local counsel in Allegheny County. The case is headed by national food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker and attorneys from his firm, PritzkerOlsen, P.A. The victims of raw milk contamination in that case are a husband and wife and the defendants include the raw milk producer and the retail store that sold the product. The case revolves around very serious injuries to the husband, who suffered acute neuromuscular paralysis from the neck down.

Mr. Pritzker and his staff are investigating the Family Cow Dairy Store outbreak and accepting cases from those who were sickened. Call for a free case consultation at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or leave your contact information and a lawyer will call you to discuss your claim and answer any questions. PritzkerOlsen is one of the very few legal groups in the U.S. practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and has collected millions for victims of food poisoning.

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National food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker has been invited to participate in a debate about raw milk at Harvard Law School’s Food Law Society on February 16, 2012.

Raw milk, or milk from cows, sheep or goats that hasn’t been pasteurized, has become a hot topic. Enthusiasts nationwide are seeking ways to ease purchasing and production restrictions, despite warnings from health officials about its inherent danger.

Proponents say raw milk contains healthful microorganisms that pasteurized milk does not, and that drinking it can aid digestion, boost the immune system and ease the symptoms of allergies and asthma.

While there is no scientific evidence to support these claims, there is ample evidence that pasteurization saves lives by killing dangerous pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter and Listeria.

Raw milk products account for the bulk of all dairy product-associated foodborne illness outbreaks reported to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Over the 36-year period between 1973 and 2009, a whopping 82 percent were caused by raw milk or cheese made from raw milk. Between 1998 and 2009, raw milk and raw milk products caused 93 reported outbreaks of foodborne illness, according to the CDC. Those outbreaks sickened 1,837 people, 195 of whom required hospitalization, two of whom died. Almost 80 percent of the outbreaks involved at least one child or teenager. In 2011, there were at least 10 foodborne illness outbreaks linked to raw milk.

Mr. Pritzker has represented victims of raw milk outbreaks, including the family of a man who became paralyzed from the neck down after drinking raw milk that was tainted with Campylobacter.

Many medical and scientific organizations recommend pasteurization for all milk consumed by humans; these include CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, and others.

Despite its risks, the sale of raw milk is legal in some states. The science and safety or raw milk will be covered at the Harvard debate.
Participants will include:

Fred Pritzer, founder of PritzkerOlsen Law Firm
Dr. Heidi Kassenborg, director of the Dairy and Food Inspection Division of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Sally Fallon Morell, president of Weston A. Price Foundation
David Gumpert, author of The Raw Milk Revolution.

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Raw milk E. coli deaths and raw milk Campylobacter outbreaks won't get much attention today in Washington, D.C., when supporters of raw milk rally against public health protections that restrict the distribution of what scientists know to be a dangerous food.

The Food and Drug Administration is one of the targets. To protect public health and put limits on the business of selling unpasteurized milk, the FDA wisely uses its interstate commerce authority to block distribution of raw milk across state lines. But Contgressman Ron Paul has just introduced legislation attempting to legalize those sales.

Grassfed on the Hill, a D.C. area private milk buying group and target of a recent FDA sting on purchasing raw milk, has organized the Capitol Hill rally where they plan to milk an actual cow and drink the fresh milk. The rally is expected to draw hundreds of raw milk supporters.

From a public health policy viewpoint, this latest P.R. stunt by raw milk enthusiasts will certainly obscure or distort the risks that people -- especially children -- face from consumption of milk not pasteurized to kill microscopic pathogens that can cause serious illness and death. The organisms can pass through a cow's udders and also enter the milk supply through cow feces in the milking environment. 

The mainstream view that unpasteurized milk is unsafe is held by local, state and federal health officials from coast to coast, including FDA, CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association. The FDA simply wants to protect the public from disease.

Raw milk has been found to contain numerous pathogens that can cause serious illness, including Campylobacter, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Listeria, and Brucella.  Ppasteurization was developed many years ago  to reduce diseases that were commonly caused by raw milk.

Getting sick from one of these germs can lead to a wide variety of illness. Some germs cause diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps, fever, headache, and body aches lasting for a couple of days to several weeks. Most healthy people with this type of illness recover, but hospitalization rates are usually 10-30%. Severe complications can include bloodstream infections, a polio-like paralysis, kidney failure, and death.  For example, E. coli O157:H7 infections lead to a severe complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in 10% of children and HUS is fatal 5% of the time. In addition HUS survivors often suffer from lifelong medical issues, including the need for kidney transplants in some.

Illnesses from raw milk are particularly dangerous for people with weakened immune systems, such as the elderly, children, and people with cancer, an organ transplant, or HIV/AIDS. Germs found in raw milk and raw dairy products can be especially dangerous to pregnant women, sometimes leading to abortion, stillbirth, or severe disease in newborns. 

If you or a loved one has been sickened in an outbreak caused by raw milk, contact national food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). Our law firm is one of the very few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness, recovering millions for victims of food poisoning. 

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 A Pennsylvania raw milk farmer may be shut down for good if the U.S. Justice Department succeeds in gaining a permanent injunction against him for allegedly violating food safety laws, repeatedly.

The complaint was filed at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for misbranding and distribution of of unpasteurized milk for human consumption in interstate commerce. The alleged violator is Daniel L. Allgyer, owner of the Rainbow Acres Farm in Kinzers, Pennsylvania.

Raw milk can contain a wide variety of harmful bacteria, including Listeria, E.coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Yersinia, and Brucella. 

 “Drinking raw milk is dangerous and shouldn’t be consumed under any circumstances,”  Dara A. Corrigan, FDA’s associate commissioner for regulatory affairs, said in a news release. “FDA has warned the defendant on multiple occasions that introducing raw milk into interstate commerce is in violation of Federal law.”

FDA investigators determined during an inspection of Rainbow Acres Farm that the farm was producing, packaging, selling, and distributing unpasteurized and unlabeled milk for human consumption in interstate commerce. FDA issued a warning to Allyger April 20, 2010, but the farm "continued to operate in violation of federal law,'' the press release said.  

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Texas is poised to liberalize raw milk sales just as health officials are investigating a Dallas County raw milk Salmonella outbreak that hospitalized a 56-year-old resident after drinking unpasteurized milk.

Sales of raw milk and raw milk products aren't illegal in the Lone Star state currently, but you must drive to the dairy farm that produces it. Legislation pending in the state Legislature would permit wider sales and open more avenues to the products for consumers.

The Salmonella outbreak started in November and remains under investigation by the state and the Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services. According to a press release from the county, health officials have already confirmed a link between 3 illnesses and one Texas dairy farm. There have been four confirmed cases all together and the Salmonella type is described as rare. 

The press release said all four cases have been linked to exposure to raw milk and three have been linked to one dairy farm. Officials didn't name the farm, but WFAA-TV of Dallas/Ft. Worth reported that state investigators were testing for Salmonella at Lavon Farms in Plano, where at leaset one of the victims allegedly purchased raw milk at the farm's on-premise store. Owner Todd Moore told WFAA-TV the farm sold thousands of gallons of raw milk and never received complaints of any illness. 

The Texas raw milk Salmonella outbreak is a classic case of the tension surrounding health experts who decry the sale of unpasteurized dairy foods as a serious threat to public health and raw milk enthusiasts who are successfully pushing state legislatures to act in their favor for reasons of liberty and a false platform that raw milk provides more nutrition and builds immune systems.

Mainstream medical groups, including the leading group of pediatric physicians, and many other groups of scientists -- including government researchers and food poisoning investigators at FDA and CDC -- are all very clear on the point that raw milk can kill you or make you very sick. Children are especially vulnerable. Now Dallas County Health and Human Services Medical Director Dr. Steven Harris is urging the public to avoid consuming raw milk or raw milk products because of the risk for potentially deadly bacterial infections. Raw milk is unsafe because it harbors gastric pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli and Campylobacter. You can't smell or taste the bacteria, but it is bound to show up in raw milk via microscopic fecal contamination or directly through a cow's udders and pasteurization is needed to kill it. 

National food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is investigating the Texas raw milk outbreak and accepting cases from those who have suffered. Our firm, at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free), is one of the very few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation, including Salmonella raw milk lawsuits. Submit our contact form and an attorney will contact you for a free case consultation.

Salmonella symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal, diarrhea, fever, and headache. These acute symptoms may last for 1 or 2 days or may be prolonged depending on virulence factors. Salmonella is especially dangerous for infants, the elderly, and people with HIV or in treatment for cancer. Salmonellosis should not be taken lightly and people who suspect they have it should immediately see a doctor. In some cases there are chronic consequences. Arthritic symptoms may follow 3-4 weeks after onset of acute symptoms. One of the most severe and painful complications is reactive arthritis, or Reiter's Syndrome.

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Raw milk food poisoning concerns have been pushed aside in New Jersey, where the Assembly has passed a bill to legalize the sale of unpasteurized milk. The measure advanced this week on a lopsided vote, but the New Jersey Senate has not taken action yet.

The Assembly bill in New Jersey would allow raw milk sales on the farms where it is produced. Specific testing of the product is required and the state would conduct health tests on the cows. This pending legislation goes against the public health advice of many state health departments, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the FDA, several medical groups, and other experts. That's because it is proven science that raw milk harbors dangerous pathogens, including E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella and Campylobacter.

These organisms can pass through a cow's udders, or milk received from the cows can become cross-contaminated by germs spread in milking parlors through manure. Pasteurization, a process that kills bacteria with high heat, was adapted for the very purpose of keeping people safe from foodborne illness. Raw milk enthusiasts falsely claim health benefits about raw milk and are incorrect in contending that pasteurization strips milk of valuable nutrients.

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen has been representing raw milk food poisoning victims for many years and currently represents a man in Pennsylvania who was paralyzed as a result of a Campylobacter infection he contracted from contaminated raw milk sold in a health store. The man's infection developed into Guillain-Barre' Syndrome (GBS), a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system.  

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Raw milk is one of the riskiest of all foods a family could eat. That's the message a public health epidemiologist and veterinarian who works for the U.S. Public Health Service provides in a well-researched opinion written for FoodSafety.Gov.

Casey Barton Behravesh knows first hand as a vet how animals and their germs can contaminate all kinds of foods. Her job also is to investigate E. coli outbreaks and other outbreaks of foodborne illness caused by contaminated food or contact with infected animals. She has watched how many people have erroneously come to believe that unpasteurized milk contains extra nutrients or can solve health problems. The reality is that raw milk can cause devastating illness with long-term, disabling effects. Children and older adults are most at risk. 

This medical professional says that another prevailing myth spread by raw milk enthusiasts is that healthy animals don't carry germs that contaminate raw milk. But in her training as a vet and health investigator, Ms. Behravesh can assure people who read her commentary that  outbreaks of illness related to raw milk have been traced back to both grass-fed and grain-fed animals. Raw milk supplied by “certified,” “organic,” or “local dairies'' has no guarantee of being free of harmful pathogens that are carried benignly in the intestines and fecal matter of cows, goats, sheep and other animals. The micro-organisms can't be kept out of milk and pasteurization is the only foolproof way to kill them. 

If you or a loved one has become sick from drinking raw milk that you believed couldn't hurt you, contact a food poisoning attorney at PritzkerOlsen, P.A. at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or by completing our contact form. Our firm has filed raw milk lawsuits on behalf of many who have become seriously ill, paralyzed or ravaged in other ways from E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Listeria and Campylobacter.

Here's an excerpt from Ms. Behravesh's public health warning: 

"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. The seriousness of the illness is determined by many factors, such as the type of germ, the amount of contamination, and the person’s immune defenses.

"Speaking of immune defenses… it’s important to remember that some people are at higher risk of getting sick from drinking raw milk. The risk is greater for certain age groups, such as infants, young children, and older adults. It’s also particularly risky for pregnant women (and their unborn babies) and those with weakened immune systems, such as people with cancer, an organ transplant, or HIV/AIDS.

"Though some people are at higher risk of getting sick from raw milk, even healthy adults and older children can get seriously ill. Those who recover often suffer from life-long medical consequences.  

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A Vermont group advocating for the use of raw milk to make butter, cheese and other solid fare received a warning letter from the state agriculture agency that its demonstration classes are against the law. The group, called Rural Vermont, canceled the classes in lieu of paying fines, but voiced objections. 

Raw milk is a nationally recognized public health threat that leads to outbreaks of E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter and other potentially deadly human pathogens. Vermont adopted a law in 2009 legalizing raw milk sales of up to 160 quarts daily, but farms can only directly sell to consumers for "fluid consumption.'' 

In Pennsylvania last year, a man who legally bought raw milk from a 'healthy" foods retailer was left paralyzed from an infection of Campylobacter -- one of several victims of an outbreak that officials linked to the raw milk producer, Pasture Maid Creamery. The man is represented in a raw milk lawsuit by national food safety law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A. The firm is one of the few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness litigation and has collected tens of millions of dollars for victims of food poisoning while also working to prevent outbreaks.

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Raw milk has become attractive to some Americans looking for food products that are natural or at least not heavily processed. But because raw milk and other unpasteurized dairy products pose a risk of severe illness, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been reaching out to educate consumers about health hazards.

The latest effort is a collection of three dramatic videos grouped together on a website called "CDC -- Real Stories of the Dangers of Raw Milk.'' One is from a California woman whose 7-year-old son fell ill. Another is from a single mom from Connecticut who was sickened after trying raw milk  because she had trouble digesting lactose. A third is about a Missouri family who tried goat's milk with horrible results.

E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella and Campylobacter are three of the pathogens that can contaminate raw milk and potentially kill those who become severely infected.  National food safety law firm PritzerOlsen, P.A., currently represents a Pennsylvania man who was paralyzed from complications of Campylobacter that he contracted from consuming contaminated raw milk. Many studies have shown that pasteurization does not significantly change the nutritional value of milk – pasteurized milk is rich in proteins, carbohydrates, and other nutrients. Heat slightly affects a few of the vitamins found in milk--  thiamine, vitamin B12, and vitamin C-- but milk is only a minor source of these vitamins.

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Minnesota agriculture officials this week confiscated about 400 gallons of raw milk that a Gibbon farmer delivered to a house in a suburb of Minneapolis where customers were waiting to pick up their orders, according to search warrant documents obtained by Minnesota Public Radio. No charges were filed, but the action appears to be part of an ongoing state investigation that began this summer with an outbreak of E. coli 0157:H7 that public health investigators linked to the Hartmann farm in Gibbon. The farm has been under state orders to stop selling raw, unpasteurized milk.

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 The Hartmann Dairy farm in Gibbon, Minnesota, was implicated by state health officials as the source of an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections in May and June. Eight E. coli infections were part of the Hartmann Dairy outbreak.

At the time, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) ordered owner Mike Hartmann to stop selling raw milk until he addressed the unsanitary conditions on his farm. MDA also directed him to comply with the state law that allows for the sale of unpasteurized milk only on the farm at which the milk was produced. Those restrictions remained in effect.

Now officials are wondering how seven new ill people acquired raw milk from the Hartmann farm that has been tied to four cases of Cryptosporidium parvum, a parasite, and three infections of Campylobacter. These illnesses occurred in months following the Hartmann E. coli outbreak.

Federal and state regulators have said raw milk carries a risk of disease because it hasn't been through the germ-destroying pasteurization process. Microscopic pathogens from the cows' manure inevitably contaminates raw milk and a kill step is required to wipe them out. 

In its announcement about the latest Hartmann dairy outbreak, the Minnesota Department of Health said it has identified 47 other people who became ill in the state since 1 Jan 2010, after drinking raw milk from a variety of other sources throughout the state -- not the Hartmann Dairy. Most of those cases have been young adults or children, the department said.

Law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is investigating the latest Hartmann Dairy outbreak and is accepting cases from families sickened by the bacteria or parasites. To talk to a food safety lawyer at the firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) or complete the free consultation form on the side of this Web page. 

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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.

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. 

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Another Minnesota raw milk outbreak is under investigation and state health officials have discovered an association between the outbreak and the Hartmann dairy farm in Sibley County. The outbreak involves three people infected with Campylobacter jejuni and four people stricken with the parasite Cryptosporidium parvum. 

A state health department press release said the illnesses were reported to the Minnesota Department of Health by health care providers, as required by law. When state health investigators contacted the sick people to inquire about potential causes, the ill people reported that they had consumed raw milk.  Those who named a source of the milk named the Hartmann farm, the press release said.  Laboratory tests found that the Campylobacter bacteria and Cryptosporidium parasites in most of the ill people were genetically identical to organisms found in animal and environmental samples taken on the Hartmann farm this past summer. 

The Hartmann farm was implicated in May and June as the source of an outbreak of  Minnesota E. coli O157:H7 infections. As a part of this earlier illness outbreak, the state ordered the owner to stop selling milk until he addressed the unsanitary conditions on his farm. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture also directed him to comply with the state law that allows for the sale of unpasteurized milk only on the farm at which the milk was produced. It is not clear how the seven new ill people acquired their raw milk.. 

“We’re concerned that people are continuing to get sick after consuming products from this farm,” said Kirk Smith, the health department's Foodborne Diseases Unit supervisor. “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.”

Law firm PritzkerOlsen, P.A., is investigating this outbreak and is accepting cases from families sickened by the bacteria or parasites. To talk to a food safety lawyer at the firm, call 1-888-377-8900 or complete the free consultation form on the side of this Web page.

Common symptoms of Campylobacter infection include fever, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), abdominal pain, malaise, and vomiting. Symptoms last for about a week in most people but can last for up to three weeks in 20 percent of cases. In addition, Campylobacter infection occasionally results in complications such as arthritis and Guillain Barré syndrome, which is characterized by sudden onset of paralysis. Cryptosporidium infection is marked by watery diarrhea, vomiting, cramping, abdominal pain, and weight loss. Symptoms often last two weeks but may wax and wane for a month or more. Cryptosporidium infection can be life threatening in people with weakened immune systems. 

Kirk Smith noted that in addition to the illnesses associated with the Hartmann farm, MDH has identified 47 other people since January 1, 2010 who became ill after drinking raw milk from a variety of sources throughout the state; none of these 47 cases was part of an identified outbreak (no two cases reported the same source). Most of the individual cases have been in children or young adults, he said. 

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The number of E. coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter illnesses in people who reported drinking raw goat milk from Billy Goat Dairy in Longmont, Colorado, has grown from 16 to 24.

CBS 4 television news in Denver quoted a Boulder County health official with the revised number of cases in this Colorado raw milk outbreak. The station said the dairy remains closed by the health department for violations "for issues like sanitation and labeling.''

It is illegal to sell unpasteurized milk in Colorado because of the human health risk due to pathogens. But health officials have reported that Billy Goat Dairy complies with the law by distributing its raw milk products to customers who own buy shares in dairy animals.

At least two children have been hospitalized in this outbreak.

Serious cases of Campylobacter infection can lead to permanent paralysis and Guillain-Barre' syndrome. Law firm Pritzker Olsen currently represents a Pennsylvania man in a raw milk lawsuit related to paralysis he suffered from Campylobacter.

Serious cases of E. coli O157:H7 infection can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) or thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) -- diseases that can lead to stroke, brain damage, hearth problems and damage to the central nervous system.

To contact Pritzker Olsen for a free consultation, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the online contact form on the side of this Web page. Our firm is a national leader in foodborne illness litigation with direct experience in E. coli raw milk outbreaks and Campylobacter raw milk outbreaks.

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Health officials in Longmont, Colorado, have ordered Billy Goat Dairy to halt distribution of its raw milk products as part of an investigation into an outbreak of Campylobacter and E. coli O157:H7.

Since June 10, 16 people who reported drinking raw milk from the dairy have become ill, including two children who were hospitalized. Boulder County Public Health is reporting that one of the children remains hospitalized.

Young children are especially prone to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) caused by infections of E. coli O157:H7 and other foodborne pathogens. More than half of children with HUS develop acute kidney failure and some may require a kidney transplant later in life. Injury from this disease can be even more far-reaching, affecting brain, heart and central nervous system functions.

To consult an E. coli lawyer about your family's legal rights in cases of HUS and foodborne illness, call law firm Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the online contact form on the side of this Web page. Our firm is a leading practitioner of food poisoning litigation and is actively involved in efforts to prevent outbreaks that cause HUS and other potentially deadly illnesses.

In the United States this year, contaminated raw milk has been associated with at least 10 outbreaks of food poisoning. In the the Billy Goat Dairy raw milk Campylobacter and E. coli outbreak, the dairy operates a goat share program in which individuals buy a share of a goat and in return receive raw, unpasteurized milk.

Lab tests have confirmed the presence of Campylobacter and E. coli 0157 in Billy Goat customers who have reported illness after drinking the product. Both types of bacteria are found in the intestines of animals and can be passed in their feces; contaminating surfaces in milking and bottling areas. 

When milk is pasteurized, these pathogens are killed. In raw milk, the organisms survive and can't be detected through eyesight, smell or taste of the product.

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The NBC television news affiliate in Green Bay, Wisconsin, has featured national food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker for his views on raw milk.

The topic has been a hot one in America's Dairyland ever since Governor Jim Doyle vetoed a bill earlier this year that would have legalized raw milk sales.

As photojournalist Mike Fisher reported on NBC26, some Wisconsin farmers continue their fight to sell raw milk despite opposition from the dairy industry, public health officials, pediatricians, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

"I think the Governor is right, I'm representing people all over the country in raw milk cases who have been harmed grievously by drinking raw milk." 

 

Click here for a more in-depth look into the dangers of raw milk

Mr. Pritzker and his firm are involved in virtually every national outbreak of foodborne illness and they have collected large sums on behalf of people injured or killed by adulterated food. In addition, the firm is devoted to educating the public about food safety issues and advocating for badly needed food safety legislation. Pritzker Olsen has pushed for increased funding for the federal, state and local agencies charged with protecting our food.

 

Mr. Pritzker and members of his firm are frequent commentators on food safety issues and have been interviewed by and profiled in a number of media outlets including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press and CNN.

 

He has received numerous accolades including selection by his peers as one of The Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, and one of Minnesota’s Top 100 Lawyers. He is also a Civil Trial Specialist certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and the Minnesota State Bar Association. He is a former president of the Minnesota Association of Justice and a former governor of the American Association of Justice.

 

Mr. Pritzker received his B.A. with honors from Northwestern University in 1972 and his J.D. cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1976.

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Two Delaware residents who consumed raw  dairy products are recovering from bacterial illnesses, the Delaware Division of Public Health announced.

The first patient is a 58-year-old female from Castle County who contracted Brucellosis.The second case is a 44-year-old man from Sussex County who has Listeriosis. Besides consuming raw dairy products, the man with Listeria infection had been handling raw poultry products.

Both food poisoning victims were hospitalized and the man with Listeriosis is still admitted, but stable.

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The Hartmann dairy farm in Gibbon, Minnesota, has been positively identified by state officials as the source of a raw milk E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least five people, including a toddler who was hospitalized with life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)..

A press release from the Minnesota Department of Health said lab tests provided evidence that the same strain of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria found in the victims of this outbreak was found in multiple animals and at multiple sites on the Hartmann farm.  This strain of E. coli has not previously been found in Minnesota.

The health department also reported that cheese samples collected last week from the Hartmann farm contained another form of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, "demonstrating that an ongoing pathway of contamination existed on the farm."

State officials have embargoed dairy products on the Hartmann farm while the investigation continues. 

At least two of the Minnesota raw milk E. coli victims were young children. Kids are the most likely of any age group to develop HUS from an infection of E. coli

Now that there is solid evidence that the Hartmann dairy farm is the source of E. coli in this outbreak, the family of the HUS victim can seek compensation on behalf of their child and themselves for the medical expenses, loss of income, pain and suffering and other expenses and losses.

This is not a matter of being lawsuit happy. The financial strain on a family dealing with child HUS is so enormous that it can put a strain on relationships and may prevent a child from getting the best care both now and in the future. 

Food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen has represented children with HUS E. coli and is recognized as a national leader in foodborne illness litigation. Over the years we have collected millions for victims of food poisoning while also staying actively involved in food safety efforts to reduce and prevent dangerous outbreaks.

To understand you legal rights in regards to the Hartmann E. coli outbreak,  call an E. coli lawyer at Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.

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A state health official is worried that the illness count in Minnesota's raw milk E. coli outbreak could increase as investigators continue to probe the outbreak's association with raw milk from the Hartmann Dairy Farm, also known as M.O.M.'s.

The Star Tribune reported that state officials have little doubt that the Gibbon, Minnesota, dairy farm produced the raw milk containing  E. coli O157:H7. The Department of Health announced Wednesday that four E. coli infections are considered to be part of the outbreak because they have matching genetic fingerprints.

Three of the four were hospitalized, including a toddler who developed life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

"I am concerned that we are going to hear about more cases,"  Dr. Kirk Smith, supervisor of state Health Department foodborne disease investigations, told the Star Tribune. It often takes up to two weeks for cases to surface, he added.

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Food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker knows first hand as a witness to severe food poisoning cases that raw milk is a dangerous product that should not be sold to the public under any circumstances.

Virtually every health department, federal, state and local, recommends against its use. It has no proven benefit over pasteurized milk. It is particularly dangerous for young children, people with compromised immune systems and the elderly.

For those reasons -- and to protect Wisconsin's mainstream dairy industry from image problems --Governor Jim Doyle has vetoed a bill passed by the Legislature that would have allowed raw milk trade on state dairy farms, albeit with regulation and pathogen testing.

 “I cannot ignore potential harmful health effects of consuming unpasteurized milk that have been raised by many groups… I recognize that there are strong feelings on both sides of this matter, but I must side with public health and the safety of the dairy industry,'' the governor said in his veto message.

His leadership will prevent tragic outbreaks of foodborne illness that Pritzker sees over and over as a lawyer for victims of food poisoning.

His latest case involving raw milk is a Campylobacter lawsuit  filed in the Court of Common Pleas in Allegheney County, Pennsylvania.

The lawsuit alleges that 67-year-old James Orchard became paralyzed from a Campylobacter infection that he suffered from unpasteurized Pasture Maid milk that health investigators later found to be contaminated.

According to the complaint, Mr. Orchard and his wife purchased the milk March 16 from McGinnis Sisters Special Foods store in Mars, Pennsylvania. 

While Mrs. Orchard became seriously sick and sore, her husband began to experience a loss of sensation and movement. As his infection developed into Guillain-Barre syndrome, he became totally paralyzed except for minimal movement of his head and the ability to blink his eyes.

If you or a loved one is in need of an experienced food poisoning lawyer, call Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page. One of our lawyers will provide you with a free case consultation and explain how we don't get paid until your case wins.

Our firm believes foodborne illness is preventable and we are actively involved in efforts to reduce the threat of E. coli, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), Campylobacter, Salmonella, Listeria, Botulism, Shigella, Norovirus and other pathogens that contaminate food.

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Food safety advocates scored a victory today when Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle vetoed legislation that would have permitted sales of raw milk on state dairy farms.

Doyle was under pressure from advocates of unpasteurized milk who protested loudly about  liberty and choice. But public health professionals in every corner of the state lobbied for continued prohibition against public sale of raw dairy products because disease-causing bacteria is inherent without pasteurization as a kill-step.

Joining the medical lobby was Wisconsin's $26 billion dairy industry, which feared image problems from inevitable raw milk outbreaks of Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, Campylobacter and Listeria.

Food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen was on the winning side of the debate, arguing in editorials that the state's obligation is to prevent food poisoning whenever possible, saving lives. If Governor Doyle had signed the raw milk bill, he would have gone against the scientific advice of his own state health department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.

Besides protecting the state's consumers, Doyle set an example for other states besieged by activists who push legalization of raw milk based on junk science and free-choice rhetoric.

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As Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle decides whether to sign a bill legalizing raw milk sales in Wisconsin, health officials in Utah are dealing with two separate clusters of illness linked to drinking the unpasteurized dairy product.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that 15 people became ill from Campylobacter and Salmonella stemming from two different state-licensed dairies.

The nine reported cases of Campylobacter infection are among residents in Weber, Davis and Cache counties. In Utah, Salt Lake and Wasatch counties, at least six raw milk drinkers have suffered from Salmonella infection.

The information comes from Julia Hall, food-borne epidemiologist for the Utah Department of Health. She told the newspaper that risks of getting disease from raw milk are inherent. Besides Salmonella and Campylobacter, unpasteurized milk can be laden with microscopic E. coli O157:H7 bugs or Listeria without tainting the  taste or smell of raw milk.

Said Hall:  "Even with strict state regulations in place, there is no guarantee that raw milk is free of disease-causing bacteria."

Anyone in Utah who has consumed raw milk in recent days and is experiencing symptoms should contact a health-care provider. For answers to legal questions about bacterial infection from raw milk sold by licensed Utah dairies, call food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page for a free case consultation.

The two Utah raw milk dairies associated with the current outbreaks are as follows:

• For Campylobacter, samples tested positive with high coliform counts from Ropelato Dairy, 4019 W. 1800 South in Ogden. Ropelato's license to sell raw milk has been suspended, said Larry Lewis, spokesman for the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.
• For Salmonella, investigators have associated the illnesses with Redmond Dairy, in central Utah. Raw milk from the dairy was sold at stores in Heber City and Orem. The dairy's St. George store was not linked to the outbreak. 

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News reports have said that Real Foods owns Redmond Heritage Farms. Because of the Salmonella probe, sales were suspended. But the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food recently cleared Redmond to resume sales.

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Pritzker Olsen law firm has filed a lawsuit through its local counsel in Pittsburgh on behalf of James and Maureen Orchard, a couple sickened last month by Campylobacter  from raw milk produced by Pasture Maid Creamery LLC of New Castle, Pennsylvania.

The Pasture Maid Creamery lawsuit was filed in the Court of Common Pleas in Allegheney County. It alleges that 67-year-old James Orchard became paralyzed from a Campylobacter infection he suffered from unpasteurized Pasture Maid milk that health investigators later found to be contaminated.

According to the complaint, Mr. Orchard and his wife purchased the milk March 16 from McGinnis Sisters Special Foods store in Mars, Pennsylvania, where they live. The retailer is named in the suit along with the creamery and its owner, Adam Dean.

While Mrs. Orchard became seriously sick and sore, her husband began to experience a loss of sensation and movement. He developed Guillain-Barre syndrome and became totally paralyzed except for minimal movement of his head and the ability to blink his eyes. He was placed on ventilation equipment and is still unable to breathe on his own in a Pittsburgh area hospital. Mr. Orchard requires around the clock intensive care.

Fred Pritzker, the Orchards’ attorney said, says the case tragically illustrates how unsafe raw milk is.

“Raw milk is a dangerous product that should not be sold to the public. Virtually every health department, federal, state and local, recommends against its use,'' Pritzker said. "It is particularly dangerous for young children, people with compromised immune systems and the elderly.''

According to the complaint, the Pennsylvania Department of Health found Campylobacter bacteria in raw milk samples from Pasture Maid.  On March 25, 2010, the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Agriculture advised consumers to discard Pasture Maid brand raw milk and recommended that Pasture Maid Creamery stop selling the product.

On April 5, 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture suspended Pasture Maid’s permit to sell raw milk for human consumption. Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized -- a flash heating process that destroys pathogens like Campylobacter and E. coli O157:H7 with high temperature.

Pritzker Olsen law firm, headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, represents individuals and families nationwide in cases involving foodborne illness. The firm is involved in virtually every major foodborne illness outbreak and has obtained some of the largest verdicts and settlements in foodborne illness cases. Attorney Fred Pritzker can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) or by completing the contact form on the side of this Web page.

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Wisconsin has foolishly legalized the sale of raw milk on 60-35 vote by its Assembly, rejecting warnings from its own disease experts, doctors, researchers, child safety experts and farm bureau.

If signed by Gov. Jim Doyle, the bill will put the state's endorsement on a product labeled as dangerous to human health by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the USDA and the FDA -- not to mention its own state department of health.

In the Pittsburgh area right now, a 67-year-old man is fighting for his life on a respirator after being paralyzed from consuming raw milk that later tested positive for the pathogen Campylobacter. James Orchard and his wife are represented by Pritzker Olsen, a national food safety law firm that has actively supported banning raw milk sales.

Wisconsin has set itself up for more raw milk E. coli outbreaks and raw milk Salmonella outbreaks -- disease clusters that will seriously injure and eventually kill consumers who expect what they are drinking is safe because the state legalized it.

Despite quackery spewed by some evangelical supporters of raw milk, there is no nutritional difference between raw milk and milk that has been pasteurized to kill microscopic bugs that cause extremely painful and often bloody diarrhea and other symptoms.

For a certain number of victims of raw milk food poisoning, there also are long-term consequences. As is the case of Mr. Orchard, Campylobacter can lead to Guillain-Barre' syndrome. Salmonella can lead to Reiter's syndrome and E. coli can lead hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the leading cause of kidney failure in children.

Wisconsin is still known as America's Dairyland, despite being eclipsed in milk production many years ago by California. Wisconsin health officials and farm organizations who worked to defeat the bill can only hope it won't be renewed when it sunsets in 2011. 

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 A 67-year-old Pittsburgh area man remains paralyzed and under intensive care at UPMC Presbyterian hospital after being sickened by raw milk produced by Pasture Maid Creamery of New Castle.

The Campylobacter infection suffered by James Orchard developed into Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), a disorder that attacks the central nervous system. National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen is representing Mr. Orchard and his wife, Maureen, who also was sickened by the raw milk.

"Nobody can give you a timeline. With everyone, it's different. And he needs extensive physical therapy, and what that will entail, we have no idea," Maureen Orchard told WTAE-TV.

WTAE-TV Team 4 investigator Jim Parsons featured the case, which has gained national attention at a time when a vocal minority of raw milk ethusiasts is pushing for state restrictions to be lifted on the sale of unpasteurized dairy products.

In Pennsylvania, the sale of raw milk and other dairy products is permitted  if produced by a licensed farm. In the Orchards' case, the contaminated milk was purchased at the McGinnis Sisters food store in Mars, Pa. 

Paul Hoge, from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, said state law allows dairy farms to sell raw milk, but he doesn't recommend buying it. The state agriculture department has suspended Pasture Maid's milk production permit.

Health inspectors had detected Campylobacter at the dairy operation and in the milk bottles purchased by the Orchards. Stool samples confirmed it was Campylobacter that made Mr. Orchard sick.

As Team 4 reported, this was not the first time Pasture Maid drew the attention of Pennsylvania officials.

Unbeknownst  to the Orchards, just a year earlier, in February 2009, the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Agriculture advised consumers who purchased raw milk from Dean Farms DBA Pasture Maid Creamery, LLC, to immediately discard raw milk purchased there due to potential bacterial infection.

Team 4 said it left several messages for farm owner Adam Dean, but those messages were not returned.

Pritzker Olsen is preparing a raw milk Campylobacter lawsuit in the case and is accepting additional clients from others sickened by the contamination. For a free case consultation, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page. 

Our firm is actively involved in various efforts to prevent foodborne illness, including advocacy for a public ban on raw milk sales. Over the years we have collected millions for victims of food poisoning.

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The Wisconsin state Senate has made the terrible mistake of approving legislation that will legalize sales of unpasteurized milk to the public. The measure passed 25-8 and will go to the Assembly next week for a floor vote.

In approving the bill, the Senate rejected the medical advice of The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, state and county health officials in Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Farm Bureau.

It is a scientific fact that raw milk is unsafe for human consumption because it can contain microscopic pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella,  and Campylobacter. Pasteurization kills these organisms without affecting the nutritional qualities of milk.

Just this week in Pennsylvania, a 67-year-old man is paralyzed and on life support after suffering complications from an infection of Campylobacter from raw milk. The family of the man, James Orchard, has retained national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen to represent them. Pritzker Olsen founder and president Fred Pritzker is preparing a lawsuit against the milk maker, Dean Farms doing business as Pasture Maid, LLC, a creamery located in New Castle, PA.

Mr. Orchard has been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. One of the most common antecedent events to those who suffer from GBS is prior infection with Campylobacter.

On April 5, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture suspended the permit that allows Dean Farms to sell unpasteurized milk. The action came after testing found Campylobacter in its raw milk samples.

In Wisconsin, raw milk supporters have successfully used the argument of free choice, ignoring dangers that can't be protected against. For instance, the CDC has said that some cows excrete Campylobacter and other dangerous bacteria from their udders. Milk can also be contaminated by the farm environment, where bacteria from manure can spread and cause disease.

Wisconsin Senator Judy Robson, a retired nurse, was one of the few voices of reason:  "We don't appreciate public health until we don't have it,'' she said.

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle has said he would sign a raw milk bill into law under the right circumstances, setting a horrible example for the rest of the country. 

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An outbreak of Campylobacter associated with raw milk from Forest Grove Dairy has spread to Indiana and Illinois for a total of 17 confirmed cases. Additional unconfirmed illnesses are considered to be part of the outbreak, which began in Michigan.

Pam Pontones, an Indiana state epidemiologist, said all the sick people drank unpasteurized milk from Indiana's Forest Grove Dairy provided by Family Farm Cooperative of Vandalia, Michigan. She said no other common factor has been identified and investigators are asking any buyers of Forest Grove raw milk to submit the product for free laboratory testing. (Call 317-233-7360)

The Indiana State Department of Health announced in a press release that three outbreak cases are confirmed in Indiana. Meanwhile, the Kalamazoo Gazette newspaper is reporting that Michigan now has 13 confirmed cases and Illinois has one.

All three states have joined forces with the Food and Drug Administration in alerting consumers to this raw milk Campylobacter risk. Their joint investigation into the outbreak should address why Family Farm Cooperative and Forest Grove Dairy engaged in shipping raw milk across state lines.

Forest Grove Dairy received an FDA Warning Letter in 2007 for allegedly distributing unpasteurized milk in interstate commerce. 

Since 1987, the FDA has required all milk packaged for human consumption to be pasteurized before being delivered for introduction into interstate commerce. Pasteurization, a process that heats milk to a specific temperature for a set period of time, kills bacteria responsible for diseases, such asE. coli HUS, listeriosis, salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, diphtheria and brucellosis. 

If consumers of raw milk are experiencing diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain or fever,  they should contact their health care provider immediately. For answers to legal questions, victims of this outbreak may call national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen for a free case consultation at 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free). To reach a lawyer online, complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.

Our firm is a leading practitioner of foodborne illness litigation and has represented victims of raw milk outbreaks, including those who became hospitalized and seriously ill. Over the years we have collected million for victims of food poisoning and have become recognized by news organizations as outbreak experts.

With Campylobacter, other symptoms may include nausea and vomiting. The illness typically lasts one week.  In persons with compromised immune systems, Campylobacter occasionally spreads to the bloodstream and causes Guilliain-Barre syndrome,  a serious life-threatening infection. 

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A nationwide warning against consumption of raw milk has been issued by the Food and Drug Administration as the FDA joins the investigation of a Campylobacter outbreak in south Michigan associated with raw milk sold through a herd- or cow-share program.

The federal agency says there were a total of 1,614 reported illnesses, 187 hospitalizations and two deaths from consumption of raw milk between 1998 and 2008 in the United States. On average in the decade, raw milk was linked to more than eight outbreaks per year of Campylobacter, E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella or other enteric disease, the FDA said.

Because not all cases of foodborne illness are recognized and reported, the actual number of illnesses associated with raw milk likely is greater.

For years, state and federal health officials have uniformly warned against consumption of raw, unpasteurized milk because it is at risk for unchecked fecal contamination that can result in potentially deadly intestinal illness in humans.

The latest warning, issued Friday by FDA in a national press release, coincides with a three-state investigation of 12 genetically matched Campylobacter illnesses in Michigan that public health officials have associated with raw milk from Forest Grove Dairy in Middlebury, Indiana. The product was sold in Michigan and Illinois by Family Farm Cooperative of Vandalia, Michigan, officials have said.

More than one sample of the milk has tested positive for Campylobacter and interviews with ill persons have shown that the milk was a common denominator in their diets.

Since March 1, 24 people in southeastern Michigan who have drunk milk from the dairy have fallen ill. That's what James McCurtis, spokesman for the Michigan Department of Community Health, told the Kalamazoo Gazette newspaper. Half the cases have not been confirmed with stool samples.

The FDA said in its press release that proponents of raw milk often claim that raw milk is more nutritious than pasteurized milk and that raw milk is inherently antimicrobial, thus making pasteurization unnecessary. But scientific comparisons have found no meaningful nutritional difference.

So, it was no surprise to read in the Kalamazoo Gazette that an attorney for Family Farm Cooperative rejects the notion that raw milk caused the current outbreak.

"I don’t agree (the disease outbreak) has been linked to the milk,” Stephen Bemis, the farm’s attorney, told the newspaper. 

National food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen represents victims of raw milk food poisoning and actively supports legislation to keep raw milk out of commerce as a way to prevent catastrophic illness among consumers. If you or a loved one has been sickened in the current outbreak, contact a Campylobacter attorney at our firm by calling 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.

Our law firm is one of the few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness and we have collected millions of dollars for victims.

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At the risk of sounding like a broken record, yet another state health department is advising consumers about dangerous bacterial contamination found in raw milk.

The latest warning is coming out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania departments of Agriculture and Health are urging consumers who purchased raw milk from Pasture Maid Creamery in New Castle, Lawrence County, to discard the product immediately. Campylobacter bacteria was found in a recent sample.

The testing was done in connection with a human illness investigation and more tests are pending.

Pasture Maid Creamery, owned and operated by Adam Dean, sells directly to consumers who sometimes provide their own bottles. The business is not related to Dean's Dairy in Sharpsville, Mercer County, which produces pasteurized milk for sale in supermarkets, the state press release said.

"The Agriculture Department recommended that Mr. Dean stop selling raw milk for human consumption. The dairy is providing additional raw milk samples to be tested for bacterial pathogens to determine subsequent action.''

Meanwhile, Dean told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that his milk is "extremely safe'' and that the state has not revoked his license to sell it.

Campylobacter in raw milk also is an issue this week in Michigan, Illinois and Indiana. Michigan officials traced an outbreak of Campylobacter infection in their state to raw milk from an Indiana farm sold through a distributor who also shipped it to Chicago and a few other cities in northern Illinois. 

Despite chronic outbreaks of illness capable of killing people, the sale of raw milk continues to be a public health threat and a costly burden to state health departments. When milk isn't pasteurized, there is no reliable safeguard against fecal contamination that harbors pathogens such as Campylobacter, E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella.

The lawyers at national food safety law firm Pritzker Olsen continually see the devastating effects of these disease-causing organisms while representing people who have ingested them. Our law firm is one of the few in the country practicing extensively in the area of foodborne illness and we have years of experience handling raw milk cases.

If you or a loved one has become sick after drinking raw milk, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or complete the contact form on the side of this Web page.

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