Personal Injury Law

Contaminated Raw Milk Strikes Again - Campylobacter in Colorado Sickens at Least Eight

By Bill Marler, Esq.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment says raw milk traced to Kinikin Corner Dairy sickened at least eight people with campylobacter.  There have been 11 confirmed cases of the food-borne bacteria since March 30; the state health department says 10 of those sickened reported drinking raw milk and eight of these people reported getting the milk from Kinikin Dairy.

The dairy was issued a public health order late yesterday afternoon.

Campylobacter can be passed through cow feces and if contaminated fecal matter gets into water or milk, humans can be infected.  The infection's symptoms include diarrhea, sometimes bloody, fever, abdominal cramping, nausea and vomiting. It is only rarely fatal. 

Campylobacter infections have to be reported by healthcare providers to the state, and when several cases were reported recently, the state knew almost immediately something was wrong.

Interestingly, today we received several additional documents stemming from a 2006 E. coli O157:H7 outbreak involving Organic Pastures Dairy in California.  The below document and attached pictures (click to download) of the Organic Pastures milking facility were produced in the litigation between Organic Pastures and the State of California.

Full post as published by Marler Blog on April 08, 2009 (boomark / email).