Minnesota E. coli Outbreak from Raw Milk Sickens Four
A Minnesota toddler remains hospitalized after being infected with E. coli from raw milk. The child is one of four sickened in the outbreak.
Two of those sickened were school age children. The fourth was a man who was at least 70 years old.
Using DNA fingerprinting, the Minnesota Department of Health traced three of the four cases back to milk sold by Hartmann Dairy Farm, Gibbon, Minn.
The farm had its Grade A permit revoked in 2001 for "general unsanitary conditions,” according to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. The farm also did not obtain a Grade B license since that time, and was thus ineligible to sell milk into commerce. The farm was also cited in 2004 for violating Minnesota raw milk sales law.
Raw milk sales are prohibited in Minnesota, except for occasional purchases directly at the farm where the milk is produced.
Last week, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle vetoed legislation that would have allowed raw milk sales in Wisconsin.
